Accidents, on the other hand, claim far too many lives!
Australia is a wide and diverse country with a population that is not concentrated in any one location. As a result, truck transportation has grown in importance in the country.
“Life would have been much more difficult if truck transportation had merely stopped for one day,” one may say when discussing the importance of truck transportation. If the trucks halt, for example, the market’s inventories will not be replenished, and the necessary commodities will not be delivered to the consumer.
Trucks are necessary for the normal flow of life, yet it is indisputable that they are dangerous to smaller vehicles on the road.
How and why is driving a truck considered dangerous?
For truck drivers, other drivers, and pedestrians, driving a truck can be deadly. For example, even if truck drivers do not suffer an accident, their health may decline as a result of long trips, repetitive actions, and being sedentary for an extended period of time.
Colliding with heavily loaded vehicles, on the other hand, increases the risk of mortality in the case of an accident from the perspective of other drivers and pedestrians. As a result, it’s a problem that requires a lot of attention.
Trucks are very important for supplies transportation, but they can be dangerous in traffic. So, what can be done to prevent truck accidents?
Avoid driving with distraction
Long trips are one of the most important reasons that can cause distraction. Research shows that 9 percent of all fatal accidents are caused by distracted drivers. Distracted driving can occur for a variety of reasons. For example, eating something, talking on the mobile phone or texting while driving to save time…
Truck drivers are more difficult to maneuver than passenger cars, their vehicles take longer to slow down, and they have to be much more careful than passenger car drivers, as there are more blind spots in their vision. Therefore, avoid activities that will cause a distraction while driving, and do not forget to take a break when you feel tired.
Identify your blind spots
In large commercial vehicles, which have many more blind spots than a standard passenger car, it is very important to correctly identify the viewpoints for driver safety and collision avoidance. Keeping lane changes to a minimum and checking your side mirrors at least every 10 seconds is also an effective way to increase safety and awareness.
Use dash cam to increase driver safety
The use of dash cams to increase driver safety is now very popular. Vehicle camera systems have also become a big part of the trucking industry, especially with the advancement of technology day by day.
Fleet owners can use in-vehicle camera systems to protect their drivers from false claims, speed up insurance processes, increase accountability, and improve driver behavior and overall fleet safety. At the same time, they can detect the mistakes of the other party with these cameras, so they can take the necessary actions.
In such a case, it can be said that the information required for compensation is also collected. You can ask compensation lawyers in NSW to find out what your entitlements to compensation are after being involved in an accident in Australia.
Know your safe braking/following distance
It is much easier to calculate the following distance when using passenger vehicles, but when it comes to commercial vehicles, this calculation needs to be done more carefully. As it is known, the larger the vehicle, the longer the stopping distance in proportion to its size.
In order to provide the correct braking distance required for safe driving, you need to observe the movements of the drivers and their vehicles around you and be careful to adjust your speed accordingly.
Pay attention to the driving hours
The mood and insomnia of the driver while driving are among the biggest causes of accidents. It is very important for truck drivers to be careful not to drive in a tired state to increase safety on long journeys.
Follow the road signs
Road signs are on the road for a valid reason, so make sure you’re absolutely aware of that reason. Another factor that can cause an accident is ignoring road signs and traffic signs. Pay attention to complying with the rules of the city or country you are in.
Increasing the speed of their trucks when maneuvering through sudden or sharp bends, uneven ground, construction sites and other road irregularities can cause truck drivers to lose control of their vehicles. For this reason, giving due importance to road signs allows truck drivers to travel safely.
Avoid hard braking, sudden acceleration, and excessive speed cornering
On the long haul, truck drivers must act responsibly and avoid dangerous behaviors such as hard braking, sudden acceleration, or excessive speed cornering. Do not forget that such behavior can easily cause accidents, especially when weather conditions and road conditions are not suitable.
Things to keep in mind in case of a possible accident:
- You should check if anyone was injured in the accident. In such a case, you should immediately call for help.
- You must report the situation to the police immediately after the accident.
- All kinds of information about the accident can be used in the legal process after the accident. For this reason, it will be useful for you to write down many information such as how the incident happened, the weather conditions, the information of everyone involved in the accident, the license plates of the cars.
If you are injured in the accident, if you receive some treatment, if you have a financial loss, you may have the entitlement to claim compensation. For legal support, you can contact the Withstand Lawyers.
When you work with lawyers who adopt a no win no fee policy, the lawyers will not charge their own fees if the requested compensation is not received. In this way, you will not have the thought of “what if I lose more” during the compensation process.