Avoiding A Truck Accident During "Delivery Season" This Year
Posted on: 5 December 2017
For most people, this is the holiday season. For truck drivers everywhere, this time of year is better described as "delivery season."
This past Cyber Monday, the first Monday following Thanksgiving, was the biggest online shopping day in the history of the United States. And a lot of online shopping means one thing in particular: a lot of packages that need to be delivered. That's putting delivery truck drivers in overtime, pushing them to their limits to get their jobs done -- which may make it more dangerous for others on the road.
Here's some advice on how to avoid an accident with a delivery truck until all the rush is over:
- Avoid getting into a driver's blind spots. The bigger the delivery truck, the bigger the blind spots tend to be. Watch out for the area particularly right behind the side mirrors on the cab of any truck, because that's usually when passenger cars are the most invisible to truck drivers. The mirrors are better at catching vehicles further back. If the driver didn't notice you coming up on his or her side, he or she might suddenly move into your lane without realizing you are there.
- Avoid passing delivery trucks on the right unless you absolutely can't help it. Not only do you have to pass through that blind spot mentioned above, drivers generally don't expect someone to pass on the right. Smaller delivery trucks may be going slow as they search for an address, so stay patient and stay back if it looks like the driver is unsure where he or she is going.
- Another danger zone is directly behind the truck -- especially larger ones. Many delivery trucks of all sizes post warnings that drivers should maintain a specific distance in feet from the rear of the truck. It's important to pay attention to those warnings because you are literally invisible to the truck driver inside that space.
- Watch how close you are to a truck that's making a right-hand turn. Larger trucks often have to swing to the left in order to turn right without tipping over -- which means they can't see smaller vehicles near the curb or at the front of the line behind the lights. Give a turning truck plenty of space to make the turn without putting you in danger.
Finally, watch out for delivery drivers in unmarked or unusual vehicles at this time of year. Companies sometimes resort to desperate measures when there's a lot of deliveries to make. They may hire drivers to do deliveries out of vans or their own cars -- which means that the driver doesn't have a commercial license and isn't a professional driver. At best, he or she may have some experience delivering pizzas. U-hauls and other smaller trucks can also be put into service by various companies trying to get their deliveries out.
If you see any driver weaving or slowly rolling on a residential road, assume that he or she is looking for an address -- and not necessarily watching out for other cars. Play it safe and stay back until the driver finds his or her location.
If you are injured in a truck accident, talk to an attorney as soon as possible -- before you talk to the truck company's or delivery service's insurance adjusters. You want to preserve your right to compensation and an experienced attorney can help. Contact a law office like D Chadwick Calvert Law Office for more information.
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