Trucks are increasing on our roads daily. But aren’t they just gigantic? Sadly, we not only experience car accidents daily, but these gigantic vehicles have also been causing different types of devastating accidents on today’s highways. Can you imagine the damage and pain caused by just one truck accident, especially on a heavy traffic day? Disastrous! The size of these huge trucks can cause extensive property damage and cause terrible injury to many innocent victims.
Some of the most common types of truck accidents we witness on the roads include;
Truck Rollover Accidents
These accidents occur when a driver loses control of their vehicle, the truck may slide and start to roll over. This may be dangerous to the truck’s occupants and any vehicles that are next to the truck or passing the truck. Rollover accidents may also be caused by over speeding, colliding with something on the roadway, steep inclines, steep declines, and over-correcting after drifting off the road. Turning too fast on a curve, tripping on a curb,
Jackknife Accidents
Jackknifing occurs when a big rig folds itself so that the cab forms a 90-degree angle with the trailer, usually caused when a driver brakes hard and quickly. The weight of the trailer brings it forward against the traction of the cab. Jackknife accidents can quickly become life-threatening, especially when the truck drifts into other lanes of traffic where other vehicles are travelling. A truck that jackknifes can block off parts of the road, thus causing further accidents.
Tire Blowout Accidents
Tire blowouts can happen with any vehicle; however, huge commercial trucks are prone to tire failure. Tire blowouts make the vehicle turn uncontrollably in wayward directions. This can pose a danger to not only the driver but also the nearby vehicles.
Blind Spots
Knowledge of a truck’s blind spots can be significant in helping to prevent accidents. That is why signs have been put up to alert the truck drivers to be cautious in the dangerous spots they are driving on. The signs on the black spots may be like, “No Man’s Land” or, “If you can’t see my mirrors, I ant see you,” and many other signs. When a truck driver loses sight of other vehicles while changing lanes, it increases the risk of adjacent vehicles being hit, crushed, or forced off the road.
Head-On and Rear-End Collisions
Head-on collisions happen when tractor-trailers collide with other vehicles, whereas rear-end collisions occur when large trucks tailgate another vehicle. Due to the heavyweights of the large trucks, both collisions can cause disastrous damage to property, severe injuries, and even loss of life, especially to the occupants of smaller vehicles.
Underride Accidents
It happens when a truck stops quickly, causing the smaller vehicles approaching behind it to be stuck under the truck’s trailer, thus ripping off the top part of it. As a result, these under-ride accidents are some of the deadliest trucking accidents recorded. You can prevent underride accidents by using side guards on semi-trucks.