Philadelphia, like many cities along the I-95 corridor, is an industrial hub. We have some of the highest density of semi-truck traffic in the U.S. And whether it’s on the Interstate, along Roosevelt Boulevard, on Route 309 or even our city streets, sharing the road with an 18-wheeler requires extra caution. Always take extra care when driving near a big-rig, and keep your eyes open for five signs that could spell trouble:
- A tractor-trailer going too fast around a curve. When a truck is going faster than it should around a corner, a “rollover” accident is often the result. According to a study by the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine “speed is the biggest contributor to rollover crashes, being involved in 45% of the crashes” making up the sample. It also sited that “rollovers are the deadliest crashes, occurring with particular frequency on freeway ramps and inclines.”
- A semi braking suddenly. An average automobile traveling 65 mph will travel approximately 315 feet before coming to a full stop. It takes a fully loaded truck takes 525 feet. When a large truck comes to a quick stop, the consequences can be tragic. Jackknifing may be the result of fast braking. A accident on US 322 in February, 2017 resulted in the death of one person when a car-carrier truck jackknifed, crushing an SUV.
- An 18-wheeler with a tilting or rocking trailer. Sometimes, the cause of a truck crash in Philadelphia isn’t the driver, the road conditions or poor maintenance: It’s an incorrectly loaded truck. Cargo may shift inside the trailer, creating an uneven load that can cause truck rollover. Open trailer trucks with loads such as heavy equipment, concrete pipes or lumber are required to meet the U.S. DOT’s North American Cargo Securement Standard to prevent loads from falling and creating dangerous situations.
- A commercial truck that is being driven erratically. Driver fatigue, drunk driving, distracted driving can all play a part in a vehicular accident. Truck driver negligence and recklessness can lead to severe personal injury, including loss of limb, head or spinal cord trauma, blindness or death.
- Big-rigs with screeching brakes or bald tires. There is simply no excuse for poor maintenance on an 80,000-pound truck. When improper maintenance causes a truck to go out of control and crash anywhere in the Philadelphia area, determining fault is complex issue that requires the help of a number of governmental agencies and an experienced truck accident injury attorney.
For more information, contact the law firm of Kwartler Manus LLC at 1-844-50-FIGHT or 267-457-5570.