Truck Safety and Winter Conditions
Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Few people look forward to winter driving. Icy roadway conditions and low or changed visibility can make winter driving exhausting, stressful, and dangerous. Traffic slowdowns increase the time you are on the road, leading to driver fatigue and frustration. As hard as winter road conditions are for you, they have an even more dramatic impact on the safety of tractor-trailers that share the road with you. With greater mass, tractor-trailers can have a harder time stopping in wet or icy conditions. Because of the long hours truck drivers spend on the road, they might suffer even more from the exhaustion of winter driving.
The truck accident attorneys at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel, P.C. in Washington, D.C. can help if you have been injured or lost a loved one as a result of a winter accident with a tractor-trailer. To learn more, please schedule a free consultation today.
Winter Conditions
Some days, winter driving is no worse than in other seasons. Other days, it can be treacherous. Freezing rain, blowing snow, and harsh winds can make the road slick, reduce visibility, and push your car around.
But perhaps the most dangerous aspect of winter driving is dealing with how other drivers behave in adverse weather conditions. Some drivers are very confident in themselves and their vehicles’ ability to deal with winter weather, and other drivers crawl along cautiously. Getting caught between these drivers can lead to deadly accidents.
Different for Tractor-trailers
Tractor-trailer truck accidents may be more likely in winter conditions. Tractor-trailer trucks experience winter conditions differently from other vehicles. Their greater weight can sometimes make them better able to negotiate slick roads, but as the slickness increases, their weight turns against them and they can lose control more easily. In particular, slick road conditions can make jackknifing more likely. Sometimes, jackknifing is used to describe a swing-out accident, when the trailer swings around the cab. Jackknife accidents are disproportionately fatal, according to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) statistics.
Tractor-trailer truck drivers also need to drive slower and leave even greater braking distance in front of them than normal, something that may not be respected by other drivers. Strong winds are more of a factor for large trucks, whose wide cross-section makes them more easily blown over, especially if the cargo is imbalanced or improperly loaded.
Driver fatigue can affect a driver’s reaction time and judgment, making it a deadly combination with slick or icy roads.
Why Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel for Your Truck Accident Case
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a tractor-trailer truck accident, you may be able to get compensation for your loss. Your chance of receiving compensation may be increased by hiring representation that understands the subtleties of tractor-trailer truck accident litigation. At Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel, P.C., we have extensive experience dealing with tractor-trailer accidents throughout the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. area. We are familiar with the approaches used by trucking companies and their representatives to shift responsibility away from themselves, their drivers, and their equipment to try to leave you to pay for your injuries.
To learn more about how to pursue a lawsuit against those responsible for your accident, please schedule a free consultation with Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel, P.C. in Washington, D.C.
