Following Trucks Too Closely Is an Invitation for Disaster

Some of the worst types of Texas automobile accidents are those that involve tractor-trailers. Because of their massive size, they have the ability to cause a large amount of damage. But it's not just being hit by a semi that can be so tragic. Running into a big rig - even at a very low speed - can be a devastating event.

Being in a Texas tractor-trailer accident can be especially dangerous because of the truck's height. It sits up off the ground, leaving a space that passenger vehicles may get wedged into. However, this height is too short to safely clear the entire vehicle, often leading to the decapitation of a driver who runs into the tractor-trailer.

In order to prevent these types of serious accidents, commercial vehicles are equipped with rear underride bars. These bars, which are low to the ground, are supposed to prevent a vehicle from continuing under the truck. However, studies have shown that they fail at alarming rates.

In order to prevent injury in an underride accident, drivers need to remember to practice safe driving practices in the vicinity of large trucks. Never follow a truck too closely or cut in behind a truck at a high rate of speed. If you are following too closely, you may not be able to see what is happening in the roadway ahead of the truck. If the truck is forced to stop quickly, you may not have enough time to stop as well, leading to a rear-end collision, which could be deadly.

If someone you love has been injured in a truck underride accident in Texas, you need to seek legal counsel. Contact a Houston truck crash lawyer at Denena & Points for more information about your rights to compensation.

Also be sure to order your FREE copy of The Roadmap to Texas 18-Wheeler Injury Claims: What You Must Do Now, the leading book on Texas truck accident information.