How to Stay Safe Around Garbage Trucks

Just like any other type of large commercial truck, a garbage truck can be incredibly dangerous. Motorists can easily be hurt – or worse – if they come into contact with one of these huge machines. After all, you have no idea if the driver is or isn’t following federal regulations, or might be driving while fatigued. Just a slight mistake on behalf of that driver could lead to disaster.

The following is some information that will help you stay safe around a garbage truck. But if you do get in an accident, the attorneys with Penn Kestner & McEwen will be ready to provide the legal representation you need. We’ll perform a detailed investigation of the wreck, and find out who is to blame, and who should be targeted with legal action.

Don’t hesitate to contact Penn Kestner & McEwen online or give us a call at (800) 732-3070. We’ll provide you with a free, no-risk evaluation of your case. And we can tell you more about how we may be of assistance.

Keep the Proper Following Distance

There’s nothing more frustrating than being stuck behind a garbage truck when you’re trying to get to where you need to be. But as stated earlier, you really don’t know if the driver of that truck is incredibly tired, or is even impaired due to drug or alcohol use.

The safest thing to do will be to keep at least a couple of car lengths between your vehicle and the truck. These vehicles are very wide and bulky, and they’re difficult to get around. If you can, stay away until the truck moves off of your road. Or until you can pass it in the safest manner possible.

How to Pass Safely

Speaking of which, if you’re going to try and pass a garbage truck, you’re going to need to be extremely careful. Check your surroundings carefully to make sure no one is coming in the opposite direction. Only pass when you know it’s 100 percent safe to do so.

There are some settings where drivers will get too impatient, and they’ll try to maneuver around a garbage truck whether or not the coast is clear. This happens quite often on rural roads. Motorists can become so annoyed that they try to pass on the right. Not only is this illegal, when the truck’s mechanical arm is extended, the driver can’t see vehicles to their right. The risk is simply too great.

Besides, how can you know for sure that garbage truck driver is even qualified to be able to handle such a large machine? If you surprise that driver, that could greatly increase the chances for a devastating collision.

Garbage Trucks Make Frequent Stops so Stay Alert

One of the reasons it is so frustrating to drive behind a large commercial vehicle like a garbage truck or a bus is that they make so many stops. Not only is the truck itself a dangerous obstacle, so are other cars. Those other drivers might even be a higher risk, since they might be more prone to try and make an unsafe move.

Road rage is real. The last thing you’ll want to have to deal with is getting in a wreck with an already-enraged motorist. The better job you do of staying cool and calm, the better the chances that you’ll be able to avoid a potentially catastrophic accident.

Mind a Trucker’s Blind Spots

All kinds of huge trucks have significant blind spots. This is especially the case with a garbage truck, since it’s so big and bulky. If you can’t see the driver’s face in their side-view mirror, they can’t see you as well. That driver is also incredibly busy, trying to pay attention to many different things at the same time. They might not have any idea you’re close.

How Often are Garbage Trucks Involved in Accidents?

You might think that being in a collision with a garbage truck would present a lower risk of a motorist being severely injured or killed. After all, these trucks are typically going very slowly, and whatever collision that occurs would be relatively low impact.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case at all. There were 107 deaths involving garbage truck accidents in 2017, and more than 1,400 injuries. But motorists weren’t the only ones who were harmed – 25% of fatalities were sanitation workers.

What Steps Should You Take if a Garbage Truck Hits You?

It can seem almost impossible to think clearly if you’re involved with an accident with a vehicle that can weigh more than 50,000 pounds. But if you can keep a clear head, you’re going to have a better chance of obtaining the compensation you deserve if the driver of the truck is at fault. Please keep the following in mind.

• Get medical help. This is the very first thing you should do – not only for your physical health, but also for the strength of your case as well. Even if you think you’re fine, talk to a doctor. There are several kinds of injuries that won’t present symptoms until well after they’ve occurred. Also, if you don’t get immediate medical attention, the at-fault driver’s insurance company could use that against you.
• Call the police. If there was an injury in the accident, you’ll need to contact the police so they can investigate. The officer who arrives at the scene will investigate and prepare a report. That report could be extremely important to helping prove your case.
• Document what happened. Try to take pictures and videos of the accident scene. As long as you’re not too badly hurt to do so, and you can do so completely safely.

Contact Penn Kestner & McEwen to Discuss Your Truck Accident Case

This is another critically important thing to do if you’ve been in an accident with a garbage truck. The attorneys with Penn Kestner & McEwen have a great deal of experience in this area of the law, and we’ll know what to do in order to help you obtain full and fair compensation.

If you have any questions, or you would like to schedule a free consultation, please give us a call at (800) 732-3070 or use our online contact form.