Big rigs and semi-trucks always pose some threat due to their size and the difficulty that drivers have maneuvering the large vehicles in certain situations. However, in the winter months when roads are slick and icy, the potential for these big trucks to get into serious accidents skyrockets.
In Robertson County (near Texas A&M), a reporter who was on the scene of an existing accident was just feet away when a semi-truck slid off the road and almost hit him. According to a report by KBTX.com, shortly after 7:15 a.m., a red pick-up truck slid off the road due to winter road conditions.
No one was hurt in the initial accident, but the tow-truck driver was having a difficult time getting the pick-up loaded on the tow truck due to an accumulation of ice on the tow bed. As this was going on, an unrelated semi-truck careened off the road, across the highway–just feet away from where the other accident occurred. Luckily, a state trooper was already on the scene and was able to pull the truck driver from the cab immediately. While the driver didn’t suffer any serious injuries, the jack-knifed truck was rendered inoperable and ended up on the side of the road leaking diesel fumes.
Truck Accidents and Wintertime Driving
This recent accident is just one of many recent accidents across Texas and the United States where large trucks have slid off the road, or into other vehicles, due to winter driving conditions. Like all other vehicles, semi-trucks and big rigs should slow down during inclement weather or when road conditions are compromised to ensure a safe drive.
Federal Safety Suggestions for Truck Drivers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has dedicated significant resources to studying and preventing semi-truck accidents caused by “traveling to fast for conditions.” Indeed, the FMCSA notes that 23% of all large truck accidents involve the truck traveling at an inappropriate speed, given the conditions. Most often, the conditions that give rise to these types of accidents are:
- Wet roadways (rain, snow, or ice);
- Reduced visibility or fog;
- Uneven roads;
- Construction zones;
- Curves;
- Intersections;
- Gravel roads; and
- Heavy traffic
To combat these dangerous conditions, the FMCSA recommends truck drivers take a number of safety precautions to ensure a safe journey:
- Reduce driving speed in adverse road conditions or weather conditions;
- Be certain to enter curves slowly;
- Take extra care around exit and entrance ramps;
- When carrying a loaded trailer, be sure to travel at a slower speed;
- Slow down in construction zones.
What To Do if You Have Been Involved in a Texas Truck Accident
If you have been involved in a Texas truck accident you should speak to an experienced Fort Worth truck accident attorney as soon as possible. Depending on the specifics of the accident, you may be entitled to recover monetary damages from the truck driver and/or the truck company based on the truck driver’s failure to reduce his or her speed according to the road conditions at the time of the accident. Click here, or call 877-885-8000 today to schedule a free initial consultation.
Related Posts:
Two Students Die in Texas Truck Accident, January 21, 2014.
Early Morning Accident Takes the Life of One in West Virginia, December 26, 2013.