Handling Semi-Truck Blown Tire Situations
Semi trucks that blow tires can veer into the path of your car causing an accident. These accidents can be deadly, so you’ll want to know exactly what to do to avoid the worst outcomes. Here’s what to do if you see a semi blow a tire near you.
1. Try Not to Pass for Long
Many cars will linger next to semis as they pass if the traffic in front of them isn’t moving quickly enough. The most dangerous place to be if a semi blows a tire is next to it, so pass quickly and efficiently – and if the car in front of you hasn’t quite cleared the way ahead, wait to make your move. For similar reasons, never tailgate a semi. Stay far enough back that you could easily brake without risking an accident if the semi brakes suddenly.
2. Stay Alert around Semi-Trucks
Keep two hands on the wheel and don’t engage in any form of distracted driving. If a semi blows a tire ahead of you, you’re going to need to react very quickly and with full control of your vehicle, so make sure you’re prepared to handle the unexpected.
3. Be Aware of Who’s Around You
If you veer out of the way of the fishtailing semi only to drive directly into the path of another car in the next lane, you haven’t done yourself any favors. As you’re driving near a semi truck, make sure you know exactly which directions are safe to veer into at any given moment.
4. Don’t Brake Hard
When you see a semi start to fishtail, your immediate response will likely be to brake suddenly, which can cause the car behind you to careen into the bumper of your car. The driver of that car can’t see the semi and has no reason to think you’re going to suddenly go from 65 mph to 0 mph on the highway. Brake firmly and steadily and drive off onto the shoulder if necessary to give yourself enough time to stop. Also beware of braking quickly in front of semi trucks as they take longer to stop, and sometimes experience brake failure which could cause an accident.
5. What to Do If You’re In an Accident With a Truck
Even with these precautions, you may be unable to avoid an accident. In many cases, a blowout is the result of the driver’s negligence or the trucking company’s, and in either case you will want legal representation to ensure that your damages are covered.
Blowouts happen because the tire pressure hasn’t been checked. Usually, it’s because the pressure is too low. They can also occur when the truck is overloaded, putting too much weight on the tires. Finally, they can happen because the company isn’t being strict enough about replacing tires as they get worn out. In all of these situations the blowout could have been easily avoided and thus responsible parties must be held liable for the ensuing accident.
Another basis for pursuing a case may be where the driver, who should be trained in what to do if there is a blowout, fails to act so as to minimize damage to himself, his truck, his cargo, and the other drivers around him. If he hasn’t been trained, or ignored his training, that’s another problem that can be brought up in a legal dispute.
If you’re in a truck accident resulting from a blown tire on a Semi truck, be sure to contact a truck accident lawyer who has experience in these cases and who knows the reasons that blowouts occur. An experienced lawyer who know what to look for and what to do in investigating these cases can be the key to obtaining legal compensation.
