Georgia Truck Accident Lawyers Blog

As part of Teen Safe Driving Week (Oct. 17-24) our Georgia trucking accident lawyers urge parents to take a moment to specifically speak with their young drivers about safe driving around commercial trucks, semis, buses and other large vehicles on the road.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also encouraging you to talk with your teenager about other poor driving decisions, including drunk driving, distracted driving, and failure to wear seat belts.

There may be no worse combination on the road than teens and large truck. Teenagers are involved in about 1 in 8 fatal crashes while large commercial trucks are involved in 1 in 9 deadly accidents on the road.

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that car accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers ages 15 to 20. In 2008, more than 6,400 motorists were killed in accident involving teenagers. Fatal Georgia car accidents involving teenagers claimed 233 lives that year.

CBS Atlanta reports that lawmakers are again debating the need to toughen teen driving laws after a 17-year-old driving a speeding Porsche slammed into a vehicle carrying the daughter and granddaughter of Roy Barnes, the Democratic candidate for governor. As if this is a new issue they are hearing about for the first time.

Meanwhile, 380,000 large trucking accidents killed 4,229 motorists and injured more than 90,000.

A study released for Teen Safe Driving Week by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that parents need to do a better job of helping teenagers learn how to handle challenging driving situations, including driving in heavy traffic and bad weather. We would put driving around semis squarely into that category. The extreme weight of a semi makes it unlikely a teenager will survive a serious accident. Their length makes passing them a challenge. And their height makes seeing around them difficult even in the best of circumstances.

The following safety tips are adapted from information provided by Road Safe America, an organization founded by parents who lost a child in an accident with a large commercial truck:

-Use extra caution when approaching a large truck on the road.

-Stay out of a truck's blink spots. If you cannot see a driver's side mirrors, he cannot see you. One-third of all accidents involving semis occur in blind spots.

-Do not attempt to pass a truck on the right when it is turning right. A truck must swing wide to the left to safely make a right-hand turn.

-Do NOT try to cut in front of any large vehicle. They require far longer to stop. And survival in such collision is unlikely for motorists in a passenger vehicle.

-When passing a large truck or bus on the highway, use proper form. Accelerate smoothly and maintain consistent speed while passing. Wait until you can see the entire cab in your rearview mirror before merging back in front of a truck.

-Observe a truck driver's turn signals.

-Give trucks at least 4 to 6 seconds of space.

-Notify authorities of unsafe driving.

-Do not try to cut a truck off to make your highway exit or turn