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Crucial Defensive Driving Techniques That Help You Avoid Truck Accidents


— April 7, 2022

Another important aspect of defensive driving near commercial vehicles is to always obey the speed limit and not drive aggressively.


Sacramento, CA – People who are regularly on the state’s highways should be mindful of defensive driving techniques to help avoid crashes with commercial vehicles. This is at least as important as other safe driving measures, as truck collisions are much more likely to cause the driver to be seriously injured or killed. When an accident does happen, California truck accident lawyers can be consulted to describe the possibility of a lawsuit. 

What is defensive driving?

This is a set of various techniques that were developed to help drivers avoid things like collisions with other cars, unexpected road hazards, deal with poor weather, and other situations that can become dangerous. Many employers and governments have required people who are commercial drivers or standard drivers who will use company vehicles to take a defensive driving course. If implemented properly, these techniques should give drivers the tools to stay safe and avoid most accidents on the road. 

Advice regarding trucks on the road

Official guidelines from the U.S. government say that drivers should keep four seconds of space between their vehicles and semi trucks or other large commercial vehicles. This makes it easier to get out of the way or brake suddenly if necessary. It is also an important point that following any vehicle too closely is dangerous and more likely to result in a collision. The advice about following distance also applies when a truck is making a turn or reversing, as these are dangerous times with limited visibility. A truck driver who causes an accident during these moves may possibly be sued by Sacramento truck accident lawyers. 

Watching the road and other vehicles around the driver

As a general principle of defensive driving, the person should always scan the road ahead for potential slowdowns and other obstacles. It is generally not advisable for a driver to get into a situation where they are surrounded by other vehicles with no way to change lanes or get onto a shoulder if necessary. It is possible that a person who has nowhere to go can get caught in an accident even if it is not their fault. 

Maintaining a safe speed

A metric speedometer. Image via Pxhere. Listed by Pxhere as public domain (CCA-BY-0.0.

Another important aspect of defensive driving near commercial vehicles is to always obey the speed limit and not drive aggressively. Drivers who are going too fast or trying to aggressively reach their destination are going to have little time to react if another person nearby makes a sudden and unexpected maneuver. 

Help after a truck crash in California

People who need to speak with a lawyer after a collision with a semi truck can speak with attorneys near me. USAttorneys.com lists lawyers in every state of the country organized by practice area. 

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