The old saying goes, the best offense is a good defense. According to research, accidents caused by big rigs or the 18-wheelers have increased by 52% since 2009. Safe and defensive driving involves saving lives, time, and money regardless of the conditions around you or other road users.
Defensive driving for truck drivers goes beyond basic skills to state-of-the-art driving techniques that can potentially prevent dangerous occurrences. Here are safety and driving tips that you should know.
Almost everyone is guilty of distracted driving at some point in life. The most common distractions are physical activities, including other roadside activities, eating or drinking beverages, flying insects, smoking, turning on radios, and other music players, among others.
The most notorious driving distraction is the cell phone socialite. Avoid using your cell phone at all costs. If it rings, let it ring. You’d instead leave a voicemail than risk your life and that of your passenger at risk.
You’d be shocked by how many truck drivers are lulled into complacency, incaution, and insecurely secure prowess. They carelessly drive through intersections with little to no scanning. Most of them will boast of the right of way. A traffic green light isn’t always an indication that all vehicles approaching the red light will stop.
As a result, a left-center-right scan is vital whenever you approach an intersection, without considering whose right of way it is. While this warning may seem so obvious, a study by NHTSA shows that 96% of accidents at intersections are a result of driver error.
Creating and maintaining a safe distance between your truck and other vehicles is one of the critical measures of defensive driving. You should keep a minimum distance of four seconds if your truck is traveling up to 40 mph. Also, the US Department of Transport approves the addition of one second for every additional ten mph.
Roads are increasingly crowded, which poses increased threats to drivers’ safety. The more congested the roads are, the higher the demand for learning the tips of building and maintaining trucks’ space cushion. While creating space around your truck might seem like a difficult task to achieve, especially when there are a lot of vehicles on the road, it’s easier than you think.
You should stay alert to the activities of other vehicles and keep your eyes moving to monitor and process any necessary detail. Depending on what you see, you should be able to adjust accordingly. Knowing your truck’s weight and height is also helpful in determining how quickly your truck can stop if need be.
Always be mindful of your surroundings and never depend on other drivers. Try to keep tabs on their driving patterns and predict what they will do as it could influence your driving. Remember, there’s no guarantee that the other drivers around you are not risky.
blogs
The Car Crash and the Headache
As we slip into the cooler months, and there is more possibility of rain, it is important to keep safe on the road. Accidents happen, especially when it is raining out there in the desert. You know how to be safe – taking extra time on slippery surfaces, making sure you have your car inspected […]
Four Arizona Workers’ Compensation Tips
If you live in Arizona and you suffer an injury while on the job, you should know your rights, in terms of representation, potential compensation, and the laws surrounding workers’ compensation. You should make sure to seek proper medical care, as well, and be certain to keep records of communications and treatments for future reference, […]
Top 5 Reasons Why You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer
Accidents happen almost every time and sometimes so fast that you don’t have time to figure out the way forward. True, you might end up feeling stressed up because of the piling medical bills. The pilling finances might drain you, thus rendering you unable to work. Statistics reveal that more than 31 million people are […]
Five Products for Increased Automobile Safety
It should be no surprise that in Arizona and California, with the increasing dependence on cars, automobile accidents are increasingly likely. In the event of an accident, you want to have as many bases covered as possible – from minor repairs you can do yourself to getting yourself out of harm’s way as quickly and […]
Driving on the 101
Living in California, there is a big focus on driving. With everyone rushing off to work, sitting in traffic, or getting around to see people, it can be easy to forget how much fun the open road can really be. As we swing towards the end of summer, you want to set aside some time […]
Five Types of Truck Accidents
Trucks are paramount to our country’s economy. Over 15 million trucks move across the country, transporting consumer goods from one state to another every day. But despite their essential place in our society, trucks are pretty dangerous and pose a high risk to every road user. It pays to know the different types of accidents […]
Personal Injury Claims: When Do you Need a Lawyer?
In cases where there are severe injuries, toxic exposure, or malpractice, you will need a personal injury lawyer. However, there are also instances when you don’t need a lawyer. Although you might need a lawyer to represent you in court if there are complex legal issues that need to be handled, other injury claims might […]
Common Causes of Car Accidents – and Ways to Avoid Them
Car accidents are an increasingly common source of injuries and loss of property and life. Every year, there are estimated to be over six million car accidents, in the US alone. We drive everywhere, and even short distances pose a hazard to drivers, as well as pedestrians and people on bicycles. The loss of property […]
Motorcycle Safety Tips for Cold Weather
Driving any vehicle in cold weather and especially snow is going to make for a much more difficult time than driving in dry, comfortable weather. With enough preparation and all of the right gear, it is possible to mitigate many of these problems, but without them, you run the risk of a deadly accident. Before […]
Car Crashes and Pedestrians in LA
Every year, we check over grim statistics about car accidents, fatalities, damages, and injuries. We always hope that the number will go down, that we will have learned something from the previous years. Unfortunately, though, that is not always the case. But that doesn’t mean that it is not worth it to try. Just knowing […]
contact form
