What You Can Learn From This Tragic New Haven Area Truck Accident

Our area roads can be quite congested and depending on the day and time you may be in a position to have to traverse very crowded roadways. However, you may not expect to be put in a situation where you could be at risk of getting into a New Haven truck accident if you’re traveling in the early morning hours, but that’s just what happened to one driver who was fatally struck by a tractor trailer truck in an accident recently.

You may be expecting to be sharing the road with tractor trailer trucks when you are riding up and down I91 and I95 through New Haven, but when you get on the back roads of the area you might find yourself letting your guard down. You shouldn’t do this as these roads can be equally dangerous, if not more dangerous than traveling on the interstate highways where you are sharing space with these giant vehicles. In order to keep yourself safe from getting into an accident and getting injured you should take the same level of care when driving on a minor side road as you do when driving down a main highway.

There are quite a few federal regulations that require the drivers of major commercial vehicles to follow certain safety protocols to keep from getting into an accident. While it cannot be guaranteed that these drivers are following the regulations they are designed to keep you safe, whatever the size of the road is that you are sharing with these vehicles. For instance, there is specific guidance around the amount of time a driver is able to drive without getting sleep. This is a major one as when limits are pushed it can put the driver and others she/he are sharing the road with in significant danger.

When an accident happens like the one on Rt. 34, it is important to take certain lessons away from the situation so history does not repeat itself. Some of the lessons we can take away from the Rt. 34 incident include, but are not limited to, the following;

1.) Early morning driving can feel safer than driving when roads are more crowded, but this is often not the case. The accident referenced above happened at 4a. Why is this? One of the reasons that roads that are less crowded are not always safer is that people let their guards down when there is less traffic and therefore they are driving while not paying close attention to the road in front of them. When this is the case, accidents are more likely to happen and incidents that lead to injury and even death become more significant and frequent.

2.) On minor roads intersections can often be one of the most dangerous places you can find yourself. While you might think that the presence of traffic lights and stop signs would make intersections safer, that is not always the case. In fact, when crossing intersections, especially in the early morning hours with less people on the road, drivers are more likely to either not slow down or stop at the intersection. Of course, when there is on-coming traffic in another direction this can put the person moving through the intersection without first stopping at a greater risk.

3.) Speed is the defining factor in the safety of anyone who gets into an accident. Traveling at an excessive speed can cause accidents to be more severe and often leads to more significant property damage and more serious injuries. It is important, no matter what time of day you are traveling, to obey speed limits. Traveling even just a few miles per hour over the speed limit can significantly impact your ability to remain safe and avoid an accident. Taking your speed seriously can be one of the most important lessons we can learn from any accident, especially ones that involve a fatality.

When traveling on roads that are not highways or interstates it can be tempting to pay a little less attention and drive a little faster then you otherwise might on a busier road. The truth is that driving on these roads can be just as dangerous as the higher speed and more congested roads. It’s for these reasons that learning lessons from the above New Haven truck accident and tragic fatality is so important so these incidents don’t repeat themselves. Learning from history is the best thing you can do to keep you and your passengers safe.

If you do get injured you may need to speak with an attorney. Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will speak with you about your specific situation. Our attorneys have dealt with similar situations and that history will inform how they approach your situation and work to protect your long-term interests.