The most common types of commercial truck accidents in Florida include rear-end and head-on crashes, blindspot crashes, jackknife accidents, tire blowout accidents and underride crashes. Typically, the truck driver is much safer than the occupants of a car in a highway speed crash, but commercial truck accidents can still be dangerous and harm the livelihood and career of a truck driver. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 27% of fatal truck accidents occurred on interstate highways, while 57% happened in rural areas.
Safe driving practices for commercial trucks
To avoid truck crashes, best practices for commercial trucks include obeying posted speed limits, knowing the routes and roads, calling ahead to the destination, being aware of sight lines and performing proper maintenance. Observing speed limits is obvious, but its importance cannot be overstated, as the speed of the vehicles involved contributes significantly to the severity of commercial vehicle accidents.
Knowing routes and calling ahead
A missed exit or wrong turn can increase the likelihood of a commercial truck crash. In addition, any distraction or unanticipated event can take the driver’s attention from the road; a distracted driver is a dangerous driver. Likewise, sudden corrective measures to avoid missing an exit, for example, can create dangers on the road. Calling ahead to destinations is a good way for safe commercial drivers to gain insight regarding potential road hazards or current road conditions.
Checking lines of sight and performing maintenance
Often, delivery locations can present difficulties in terms of navigating the truck to the drop-off point. Narrow drives might mean lots of traffic, tight turning angles or anything in between. It’s a good idea to park the truck and walk around the area to identify and solve problems. Regular maintenance almost goes without saying. Well-maintained brakes are reliable and will stop the truck in an emergency, though the larger and heavier the truck means more time. So with other parts of the vehicle, the engine, transmission, lights, horn, and tires, all of these should be properly maintained to keep commercial vehicles operating safely.