Throughout Franklin County, Delaware County, Licking County, and Fairfield County, cars and trucks must share the roads and must take necessary steps to try to maintain safety. A rear-end accident lawyer knows that one of the most important things a trucker can do in order to avoid a truck accident is to leave plenty of space between the commercial vehicle he is driving and a car that is in front of him.
There is a very significant risk of a rear-end accident happening when a truck is following closely behind another driver. When a truck causes a rear-end accident, not only are deadly injuries more likely, but victims of the crash are also more likely to sustain whiplash and other soft tissue damage. This is because a larger vehicle with more mass causes a greater change in velocity. As a report from the University of Connecticut indicates, this increases the acceleration of the body, making it far more likely the soft tissue will be damaged.
Truck Drivers Must Try to Prevent Rear-End Crashes
Within the United States, the most common type of motor vehicle accident is a T-bone crash. Coming in at a close second is rear-end accidents. Rear-end collisions account for approximately 28 percent of all car accidents in the U.S. according to Beloit University (T-bone accidents account for 36 percent of crashes).
Trucks are especially prone to rear-end collisions because of their long stopping distance. The Bendix Spencer Foundation says trucks have around twice the stopping distance as compared with passenger vehicles. Trucks have more kinetic energy because of their size, so there is more braking force required both to cause the vehicles to slow down and to cause the vehicles to come to a stop.
Since trucks take longer to slow, a truck driver will not be able to adopt when traffic speeds change. The car in front of the truck could slow down and the trucker wouldn't be able to cut his speed and would then rear-end the lead vehicle.
When this is about to occur, truckers may engage in panic braking. The Bendix Spencer Foundation suggests that slamming the brakes when approaching another vehicle is one of the worst things that a truck driver can do. This can cause brake fade, because the thermal capacity of the brakes will be exceeded and the brakes will become less effective at stopping.
Professional truck drivers should know their vehicles and should be properly trained in maintaining a safe stopping distance and using vehicle brakes effectively. When a trucker fails to live up to his obligations and strikes the car in front, the victims of the rear-end accident could potentially pursue a claim for compensation not just from the trucker but also from the truck driver's employer as well.
Contact our Columbus, OH accident lawyers today. Call 1-800-930-SCOTT or visit https://www.sestriallaw.com for a free case consultation. Serving Franklin County, Delaware County, Licking County, Fairfield County, Pickaway County, Madison County and Union County.
