Driving a truck can be an incredibly rewarding, but very dangerous, job. The larger the truck and the heavier the cargo, the more dangerous it becomes – and trucking accidents aren’t entirely uncommon. There’s a reason being a trucking accident lawyer can be very profitable – you sort of happen to get quite a lot of clients.
However, now that the winter season is in full-blast it’s important to reiterate some very basic and crucial safety rules to help you and drivers everywhere avoid the expenses, troubles and consequences of a horrific accident.
1. Consider your health
The very first tip should be the most obvious one, but it also tends to be one that gets missed often. As io9 noted back in 2012, 12% of work-related deaths come from truckers, and, just as shockingly (although not so shocking to the drivers themselves) – only 14% of truckers aren’t overweight, and only 8% exercise regularly. If you want to live a life long enough to enjoy the benefits of your job, try and come up with ways to reschedule your life to allow for regular exercise, decent daily sleep, and food. Good food, if possible, although that may be difficult in the infamous food desert states. It’s difficult, perhaps almost impossible, but it’s worth the effort and it’ll improve your attention on the road.
2. Go slow
Slower when it rains, and even slower on ice. Don’t try and beat the clock by skirting over the speed limit, and don’t go higher than 60% of the speed limit when the sky is pouring down on you. This is so you have the chance to slow down and stop more reliably on the road when it’s wet – and more so when it’s frozen over, at which point you should aim to stick to half the speed limit. If you do get into an accident, however, be sure to hire a good trucking accident lawyer. Woodruff Lawyers in Elgin can help you settle your claims and get out of the situation with less of a hitch.
3. Maintain your truck
This one is something all truckers can relate to – treating your truck right is the basis for a safe, reliable vehicle. That means performing regular check-ups on the truck’s fluid levels, the horns, the mirror angles, the tire pressure and, most importantly, the responsiveness of the brakes.
4. Bad weather
Inclement weather is a death sign for truckers – not taking the right precautions and taking things slower when the weather begins to act up can be very dangerous.
There you have it – heed these tips and stay safe!
