How to Be Safe when Driving near Tractor-Trailers

Driving can be a stressful prospect for many people, as one mistake could lead to a major accident. Maneuvering your vehicle on the highway is especially stressful, as you’ll have to deal with high speeds and many tractor-trailers. An auto accident could be a major setback for you financially, potentially causing you to have to seek medical treatment or legal counsel from a St. Louis truck accident lawyer at allinjuryattorney.com. Thankfully these costs can be avoided, as long as you drive safely when on the highways and near tractor tailors. So how can you avoid accidents on the highway and avoid accidents with tractor-trailers?

Here’s how to be safe when driving near tractor-trailers.

Don’t Speed

The first thing you should do to limit any accidents when driving near tractor-trailers is to avoid speeding and slow down. Although the prospect of getting to your destination faster may be tempting, it is best to avoid speeding on the highway. When you are speeding, you have less time to react than when you’re going the speed limit.

When it comes to driving, any extra reaction time is valuable, as it can allow you to properly react and avoid an accident. You should never be driving too fast on the highway, especially around tractor-trailers. If you slow down and avoid speeding around tractor-trailers, then you’ll be much less likely to get into an accident. 

Watch For Blind Spots

Another thing you need to consider when driving by a tractor-trailer is their blind spots. Blind spots can be a hassle for any driver, but they are especially dangerous for tractor-trailer drivers. Tractor-trailers have larger blind spots than other vehicles, creating some potentially precarious situations.

Due to this, you should always try to consider the tractor-trailer driver’s blind spot. The general rule of thumb is that if you can’t see the tractor-trailer’s mirrors, then he likely can’t see you. As a result, try to keep this in mind and ensure that you stay out of the tractor-trailer driver’s blind spot.

Keep Your Distance

When driving behind tractor-trailers, it’s important to keep your distance. By keeping several car lengths between you and a tractor-trailer, you are allowing yourself plenty of time to react to an accident.

On the other hand, if you tailgate a tractor-trailer driver, you give yourself minimal time to react to anything. Tractor-trailers can be extremely susceptible to auto accidents, and you want to be able to avoid any potential danger that may come from the area around you, meaning you absolutely should keep your distance. 

Know Traffic Laws

One thing that you can do to prevent getting into a highway accident with a tractor-trailer is by being familiar with local traffic laws. There are several things that you need to be wary about when it comes to traffic laws on the highway, and failure to understand can lead to some serious accidents. For example, you might need to consider who has the right of way or whose responsibility it is to yield when merging. Being familiar with all local traffic laws is a great way to prepare for driving, and can help prevent any accidents from occurring when you encounter tractor-trailers.