Commercial trucks go by many names. You may call them semi’s, big rigs, tractor-trailers or 18-wheelers. They are a common part of the highway landscape in Texas. Loaded with goods from salsa to tennis shoes, they weigh several tons. The weight makes stopping quickly virtually impossible. Now that summer has arrived, work-zones for widening roads and repairing damaged pavement are also numerous. At Charles J. Argento, we often represent clients injured in a collision with a big truck.
Several factors contribute to auto accidents in these areas. They include reduced speeds, traffic congestion, merging or shifting lanes and flaggers directing traffic. The Federal Highway Administration reports that nearly one-third of construction zone crashes involve big rigs. These accidents most often occur during the day, Monday through Friday. Most collisions happen in the No-Zone around semi-trucks. This is the blind spot area at the front, sides and rear of tractor-trailers.
There are several steps you can take that reduce your chances of being in a wreck with an 18-wheeler:
- Follow the instructions by the flagger
- Leave extra space between you and a big truck
- Make sure you are in the correct lane ahead of the work zone
- Focus on the road and the vehicles around you
- Use alternate routes around construction areas when possible
Work zones often contain significant activity. Workers move across the site. Heavy equipment operates near the traffic flow. Slowing down and having situational awareness can help you avoid collisions in merge areas. If you sustained injuries in a wreck with a big rig in a work zone, you might have grounds for a suit. Visit our webpage for more information on this topic.
