18 Wheelers Can Be Dangerous To Drive, Tips To Keep Safe

Driving 18-wheelers requires a lot of know-how and skill. Suppose you're wondering how to be safe while driving one of these large trucks. In that case, this article provides you with some tips that will help ensure your safety while transporting goods across the country, as recommended by a Colorado car accident attorney.

1) Avoid texting while driving, especially while you're behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler. Many truckers use their cell phones to communicate with dispatch and other drivers when they're on the road. If it's urgent, call them or let them call you instead. It's best to refrain from texting while your truck is in motion and your hands are on the wheel; this is illegal and has led to accidents over the years. It might be difficult not to text on a long trip in your truck, but don't let temptation strike.

2) Watch out for blind spots on the sides and back of your rig. The trailer takes up a lot of space, so check if vehicles are in your blind spots before moving forward.

3) Make sure that your headlights are on at night. The highway patrol will ticket you if they see an 18-wheeler with its lights off.

4) Never drive while you're tired or intoxicated. Drivers who do this are more likely to make dangerous mistakes.

5) Some 18-wheelers have cameras mounted to the front of them that record what's going on during a crash and help engineers decide what worked and what didn't in an accident. Make sure your camera is working properly & keeps the recording for up to 60 days. Also, some 18-wheeler trucks have a black box that will allow you to know precisely why your 18-wheeler collided with another vehicle.

6) If you have 18-wheeler insurance, check with your insurance company and make sure they are still going to cover you if you've been in an accident. Some companies will no longer cover specific drivers after being involved in an accident.

7) When driving through bad weather conditions, slow down, stay focused, and use every form of technology onboard the 18-wheeler that helps alert you about slippery roads or icy conditions.

8) If you feel that you’re on a small road when your GPS indicates that you should be on a large highway, slow down and take the next exit. Don't take any chances if you don't know where you're going.

9) When checking your mirrors while changing lanes on an 18-wheeler, make sure they are working correctly and won't fly off while doing so.

10) When you're on the highway, make sure your lane is as far to the right as possible. This means that while you're still in slow traffic, it'll be easier for cars to pass you and ensure that if there is a dangerous situation on the road ahead of you, other drivers will know what lane to get over into before it's too late.

11) Last but not least, keep your eyes open and stay focused by staying awake for at least 15 hours each day and taking brief 10-minute naps rather than sleeping more prolonged. This will be extremely helpful in keeping yourself refreshed to react quickly if a dangerous situation occurs while driving an 18-wheeler.

Bottom line

While driving a long-haul 18-wheeler is tricky, complicated, and dangerous, with the help of the information provided above, you'll avoid many of the common mistakes drivers make when driving these large trucks.