Safety Tips For Your Summer Road Trips

By June 26, 2013March 14th, 2022Highway Safety, Trucking Accidents

Summer is here, and for many families across the country that means they will soon be embarking on a road trip. Road trips can be fun experiences for family members of all ages, but it can also mean an increased risk of being involved in a trucking accident.

Almost 500,000 trucking accidents occur each year, many of which involve smaller passenger vehicles that are at a distinct size disadvantage, resulting in serious injuries or death.

For any driver embarking on a summer road trip, it’s important to be aware of choices that could affect loss recovery in the event of an accident. Trucking companies have lawyers that are well-versed in accident litigation, and it is vital that you don’t give them any evidence to deny a claim. Here are some tips to help ensure that, if you are involved in a trucking accident, you may be able to avoid liability and recover damages from an at-fault trucking company:

  • Get plenty of sleep: Driving while fatigued is a major contributing factor to accidents. So while it may be tempting to get just a few more miles in, make sure you are well rested.
  • Avoid telephone distractions: Make it a policy to never use a cell phone while driving. If calling, texting, or emailing is absolutely necessary, either pull over in a safe location or ask a passenger to do these things for you.
  • Avoid environmental distractions: While it’s important that kids be entertained on a road trip, be sure to choose activities and toys that won’t be a distraction to you.

Trucking accidents can be caused by a number of factors including fatigue, distraction, equipment failure, improper truck maintenance, drug or alcohol use, and driver inexperience. However, trucking company attorneys will attempt to prove that passenger vehicles were at least partially at fault in order to reduce or eliminate the financial compensation and/or damages their clients must pay. For this reason, following the above tips can be a critical part in getting you the financial compensation you deserve.