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How to Share Winter Roads with Semi-Trucks

Whether you live in an area with heavy traffic or drive on a large highway to get to work, you likely share the Winter road with semi-trucks. In the winter, you may feel anxious when driving next to a semi-truck and unsure of how to keep yourself and others safe.

If you are involved in an accident with a semi-truck this winter, be sure to contact the skilled Wisconsin truck accident lawyers of Studinski Law, LLC (715) 343-2850 to schedule a free, confidential case consultation.

Advice for Sharing the Road with Semi-Trucks

Below is a list of tips that can make sharing snowy and icy roads with semi-trucks less nerve-wracking:

Increase Your Following Distance
As a rule of thumb, you should always stay three to four seconds behind another vehicle so that you have enough time to react in the event of a sudden stop. When driving near semi-trucks in the winter, you should increase this following distance to eight to ten seconds. By increasing your following distance, you’ll be able to see everything that’s in front of you and reduce your risk of an underride accident.

Practice Caution While Passing
Since semi-trucks feature various blind spots, passing them is risky. Passing a semi-truck is even riskier in the winter because of the snow and ice. Therefore, you should only pass a semi if you are sure you have enough time to do so. If you can’t see the side mirrors of a semi, the truck driver likely can’t see your vehicle, meaning it is not a good time to pass.

Never Pass on the Right
When turning right, semi-truck drivers often swing to the left in order to negotiate the turn. When they do this, they cannot see the vehicles that are directly behind or beside them. For this reason, you should never pass a truck on the right.

Avoid Distractions
While distracted driving is always dangerous, it’s especially unsafe when you are sharing the road with a semi-truck in the winter. Even if your attention is off the road for one second, a serious accident may arise. Be sure to keep your eyes on the road at all times and avoid texting, fiddling with your sound system, eating, or engaging in any other activity that directs your focus off the road.

Dim Your Lights
Bright lights can reflect off of a semi-truck’s mirror and cause a few seconds of blindness for the driver. For this reason, you should turn off your bright lights whenever you are driving near a semi-truck.

Always Use Your Turn Signals
Semi-trucks require far more time than other motorists to stop, turn, or merge lanes. Therefore, you should always use your signals at least three seconds before making any changes. This will allow truck drivers enough time to slow down or move over.

Contact Our Wisconsin Truck Accident Lawyers

Unfortunately, an accident can still happen if you adhere to the above tips. A truck driver may be stressed, fatigued, distracted, or pressured into making a delivery on time and cause an accident as a result. If you’ve been injured in an accident with a semi-truck, contact the Wisconsin truck accident lawyers of Studinski Law, LLC today. We’ll determine the liable party and may be able to collect compensation on your behalf.

Contact us today at (715) 343-2850 for a free consultation regarding your case.