According to official statistics, there are over 25,000 accidents involving trucks in Australia each year. These include accidents with cars as well as collisions between trucks. In fact, heavy vehicles are involved in approximately 15% of all road accidents annually!
With such a high number of crashes taking place, it’s vital that you learn how they occur so that you can avoid them.
So What Causes These Accidents?
When it comes to heavy truck accidents, the majority of incidents are caused by external factors. These include:
- Cargo weight: The safe loading and unloading of cargo is an important factor in avoiding accidents.
- Truck weight: Gross vehicle mass (GVM) is a critical safety issue because it affects handling, braking, crashworthiness and other aspects of driving performance.
- Truck size and manoeuvrability: Large trucks cannot turn as sharply as smaller vehicles so drivers have to be aware of their surroundings at all times to avoid striking other vehicles or pedestrians when turning or changing lanes on the road.
Traffic density, road conditions and weather conditions can also make driving more difficult for large vehicles, often resulting in additional risk for other road users, especially if a truck driver is unable to stop or slow down quickly enough in time to avoid a collision with another vehicle or pedestrian on the road.
Only 5% Of These Accidents Are Caused By Truck Drivers!
The other 95% of heavy truck, or semi-trailer, accidents are caused by other vehicle drivers. In fact, the driver of a regular car sideswiping a large truck actually causes three times more accidents than the truck driver does! The stats are even worse for pedestrians. These stats seem to suggest that it doesn’t matter what you do as a big rig driver—you’re going to get into an accident sooner or later. But there’s something you can do about this.
The Other 95% Are Caused By Other Drivers And Pedestrians
This means that you must exercise caution when driving near heavy trucks, as their huge size and mass can cause physical damage to your car if they are in an accident with you.
To avoid a heavy truck accident, you should:
- Keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you at all times.
- Never cut in front of a heavy truck unless absolutely necessary.
- Always use your indicators to show the truck driver where you are going.
So How Can You Avoid Getting Involved In An Accident With A Truck On The Road?
- Stop tailgating: Tailgating any vehicle is dangerous, but it’s especially dangerous when you do this to trucks. Since trucks are so much larger and take up more space on the road, there’s a bigger chance that you might collide with them if you tailgate or drive too closely behind them. If you want to get out of a truck’s way, simply move back and wait for a safe time to overtake them.
- Overtake wisely: Overtaking is another risky manoeuvre, so don’t even attempt it unless you’re sure that it’s safe. Check the road ahead before overtaking and make sure that nobody is coming toward you.
- Avoid blind spots: You can do this by keeping your distance from trucks and being mindful of where they are at all times.
If you’re involved in an accident and your vehicle needs towing, contact Mick’s Towing Services as soon as possible.
