Chp, Trucking Companies Focus On Truck Safety Over Labor Day Weekend

The California Highway Patrol, the California Trucking Association and the Insurance Information Network of California are collaborating to draw attention to truck safety over the Labor Day weekend.

Last week, the three agencies conducted a live demonstration at the California Highway Patrol training facility in Sacramento. Big rig drivers demonstrated the dangers arising from a truck's blind spots. Because of the height of the cab, the driver of an 18 wheeler may not be able to see vehicles that are in blind spots in the truck's field of vision. These can have serious consequences because a trucker can't avoid a motorist that who can't be seen. It's very important that motorists are aware of these blind spots, so that they can avoid such spots or at least understand that the trucker isn't aware of their position.

The demonstration also highlighted the longer stopping distance that a commercial truck requires. An 18 wheeler for instance, takes a longer time to come to a complete stop than a passenger vehicle. An 18 wheeler can travel hundreds of feet after applying brakes before it comes to a complete stop. California Highway Patrol officers at the scene stressed the need for drivers to understand the severe challenges truck drivers face, and to take care while sharing the roads with these big trucks.

California truck accident lawyers often see that too many motorists indulge in dangerous behaviors, like tailgating a tractor trailer, or cutting across the front of the 18 wheeler. Motorists must understand that when they are sharing the road with a tractor trailer, they are driving alongside a massive vehicle that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. It's important to be aware of the large truck's movements at all time. Motorists must look out for signals from the tractor trailer driver, indicating that the driver is about make a turn, pull over or take other actions. Besides this, large trucks can weigh up to 30 times more than a passenger vehicle, and drivers may find it more difficult to control the truck in an emergency.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there were 4,602 fatalities in truck accidents in 2007. In accidents involving tractor trailers, the occupants of the smaller vehicles are at a much higher chance of being killed or severely injured than the truck driver. Of the fatalities in 2007, 70 percent were in the smaller vehicle, and 16 percent were truck drivers. According to the California Highway Patrol, last year, there were 7,262 accidents involving commercial trucks. More than 50 percent of these were linked to negligence or reckless driving by passenger vehicles.

The California Highway Patrol is advising motorists to stay safe by following certain rules:

* Pass a tractor trailer quickly. Avoid lingering alongside a truck.
* Allow plenty of space when changing lanes in front of the large truck.
* Always pass a truck on the left because the truck driver's blind spot on the right can run the length of the trailer, and extend across three lanes.
* Leave at least 10 car lengths when you're in front of a truck, and 20 to 25 lengths behind the truck.
* Look for the driver in the truck mirror. If you can't see the driver's face in the mirror, then he can't see you.