Give Bigger Vehicles More Room on the Highway

A good rule of thumb to drive by on the highway is if you are traveling close to a big rig, give it room. It could save your life.

It pretty much goes without saying that if you spend any time on the highway in the presence of huge tractor trailers, you will want to go out of your way to give them lots of space. And why wouldn’t you, given the size, velocity and potentially fatal impact if one of them hits you? The end result of a big rig versus car collision is a foregone conclusion and usually fatal. If it isn’t a crash where the survivors come out of it with life-altering catastrophic injuries, it will be a killer wreck.

Unfortunately, a good number of people out there in traffic and mingling with the semis, don’t realize the dangers they face should something go wrong. Many also don’t realize that the big boys have blind spots on all four sides of the truck and if you travel in those spots, you’re asking for trouble. If they can’t see you, they could turn right in front of you and you would have no place else to go, but straight into the side of the rig.

This has been said countless number of times, in numerous settings, but it still bears repeating – 18-wheelers cannot and do not stop like other vehicles. It takes them up to 40 percent longer to come to a halt than passenger vehicles. The wake of destruction left in the path of a hurtling semi is not a pretty sight. If you are trailing too closely behind them and they do come to an unexpected stop, you may wind up as an underride accident. Those generally see many victims decapitated.

There are two types of big rigs trolling the roads today; the single and double-wide 18-wheelers. The double-wides pack up to 80,000 pounds and expecting them to stop “right now” is like trying to stop a killer tornado. There just isn’t anything you can do about it.

The reality these days is that semis are not always loaded in a correct and safe manner. The load isn’t secured in a way that will prevent it from shifting during its journey from point A to point B. If this isn’t done the right way, the load may end up on the road or on another vehicle. Doing highway speeds when something comes off a semi is virtually guaranteed to result in a horrific crash.

For your own safety and that of your family, avoid the big guys on the highways, and stay safe. If you ever need the services of an experienced Arkansas injury lawyer, as the result of an 18-wheeler accident, you will be in good hands as they step up to bat to ensure you get justice and fair and equitable compensation. Your Arkansas accident lawyer has years of expertise to draw on and an in depth understanding not only of your injuries, but how they will affect you for the rest of your life. Want justice? Then make your first call to a skilled Arkansas injury lawyer.

Michael G. Smith is anArkansas personal injury lawyer and Arkansas business dispute lawyer, practicing personal injury law and veteran’s benefits in Arkansas. Learn more by visiting Arkansaslawhelp.com

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