Many drivers tense up, grip their steering wheel a little bit tighter, and pay closer attention to the road when they pass large trucks on the highway.  It’s almost instinctual and for good reason.  According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Facts, in 2010, 276,000 large trucks (defined as vehicles with a gross weight over 10,000 pounds) were involved in traffic accidents. Because of those large truck accidents, 3,675 people were killed and 80,000 were injured.

Large truck accidents are of particular concern because the injury and fatality rates are on the rise.  Between 2009 and 2010, fatalities in large truck accidents increased by nine percent and injuries increased by eight percent. A statistic even more worrisome for non-truck drivers is that 76 percent of truck crash fatalities were occupants of other vehicles.

Fatal truck accidents are overwhelmingly more likely to occur on a weekday, during the day, and in a rural area.  They are also rarely the result of a drunken truck driver. The most effective way to reduce your chances of being involving in an accident is to practice defensive driving when on the road with a truck. To minimize the risk of accidents:

• Avoid blind spots around the truck
• Avoid passing a truck on the right when the truck is turning right
• Do not cut trucks off
• Observe a truck’s turn signals
• Report dangerous truck driving to the proper authorities

Sometimes even the most defensive driving cannot prevent an accident. If you have been involved in a trucking accident and need legal help, contact an experienced Atlanta personal injury lawyer today.