Going Home to See The Fam? Watch Out for Those Big Trucks

There’s a big day coming up and it’s one day earlier than you’re thinking: Wednesday, November 26. It’s the day motorists around the country pack up the family and the pecan pie and head out to join friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday.

But believe it or not, Wednesday, November 26 is also a particularly dangerous day for motorists. You can thank the usual suspects: Careless drivers, construction, inclement weather and even the decrease in daylight we “suffer” each November.

But there’s another reason for the danger: those big trucks.

In the last decade, we’ve grown accustomed to seeing semi trucks and other commercial vehicles on our roads and highways. The trouble is, those trucks come with a number of risks for motorists.

Baron and Budd’s truck accident lawyers have heard too many stories and uncovered too much research about the risks of truck collisions not to warn you. For instance, research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that nearly 4,000 people were killed in commercial semi-truck and bus-related accidents in 2012 alone.

Truck collisions are particularly dangerous because of the dramatic size of the trucks, commercial semi-trucks or buses compared to other vehicles on the road. The disproportionate size creates a dangerous situation when truck drivers are unable to break quickly should traffic flow or road conditions abruptly change. What’s more, if a collision occurs, the disproportionate size means a much higher risk of serious injury, death or vehicle damage compared to a collision between, say, two mid-size vehicles.

But there’s more to the story, because it’s not just about the size.

Instead, while you might be worried about getting to your sister’s house in time to help with stuffing the turkey, truck drivers have some worries of their own: Shockingly long work hours with few breaks plus demanding, sometimes, near-impossible schedules to get things from “point a” to “point b.” Add poorly maintained trucks to the mix (— not to mention poorly maintained roads that have been beaten up by the heavy trucks and cargo!) and you’ve got a potential disaster on your hands.

So use extra caution this Thanksgiving week.

We know you’re in a rush to spend time with your loved ones. Just don’t let your road time be endangered by the trucks you share the road with. Look out for the commercial trucks and buses and, if you can, change lanes when you can and get out of their path!