Commercial trucks are innately dangerous because of their size, weight, and high center of gravity when pulling full trailer loads. Driving these enormous rigs safely on our highways demands focus, skill, and good judgment. Unfortunately, disastrous truck accidents occur when drivers lacking these qualities share the road with the driving public. Here are three examples of dangerous truck driving:
Driving a Dump Truck with the Dump Bed Raised Up
The dump beds on the larger dump trunks extend quite high when raised. Sometimes the operator will drive off without lowering the bed back down. This forgetfulness can have disastrous consequences. The raised beds have snagged and pulled down high voltage power lines over busy streets, which endangers the driver, motorists, and pedestrians. These incidents have caused a number of electrocutions.
The raised dump beds have also caught overpasses on highways and interstates. When this happens, the truck may overturn or the bed may shear off. There have also been instances where the raised bed took down the overpass itself. This is clearly dangerous to nearby traffic.
Trucks Blindly Following GPS
Truck drivers commonly use GPS to find short cuts or routes that detour traffic snags. Problems occur when they use GPS meant for the general public instead of truck specific GPS. General purpose GPS doesn’t take height clearances into account. Truck drivers who blindly follow their GPS get the tops of their trailers sheared off or become wedged in overpasses with insufficient clearance. Roads not meant for truck passage have signs that indicate this. However, truckers who blindly follow their GPS directions sometimes fail to notice them. Again, these overpass mishaps endanger the nearby traffic.
Texting
One of the worst forms of driving distractions is texting. It takes the driver’s mind and his eyes off the road. It also requires that he drive with only one hand. Texting with small keys demands focus, which when taken from the traffic situation can cause a devastating accident. A truck traveling at 65 mph moves 95.3 feet per second. A three-second texting distraction equates to 286 feet of travel down the road.
If you or someone close to you were injured in an accident with a truck, Hogan Injury lawyers can help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us to discuss your case.