Other drivers may be the cause of truck accidents
Seemingly minor driving errors, like failing to signal before passing, can result in an catastrophe when an eighteen-wheeler is involved, especially at high speeds.
Transport Minister Dipuo Peters feels the owners of the petrol tanker that caused a multi-vehicle accident on the N12 East in Alberton earlier this week should be held accountable.
The accident happened on Tuesday on the N12 East near Voortrekker Road, Alberton, claiming the lives of four people.
Minister Peters says a preliminary investigation shows that the accident was caused by brake failure.
The same type of accident happened on September 5, 2013 in Pinetown, killing 24 people during rush-hour traffic.
The driver, Sanele Goodness May is currently battling culpable homicide charges in court on after his truck smashed into four minibus taxis and two cars at an intersection at the bottom of Fields Hill in Pinetown.
Twenty-two people were killed at the scene and two died later in hospital.
The website injury.findlaw.com says not only do truck drivers need to be aware of the dangers presented by their large and unwieldy vehicles, but other drivers on the road also need to use extra caution in their presence.
The website says drivers of passenger vehicles are also often are to blame for traffic accidents with big trucks because of their ignorance of a truck’s performance capabilities, such as limits associated with acceleration braking and visibility.
Some unsafe acts committed by car drivers in the vicinity of large trucks are:
- Driving in the “no-zones” – the areas behind and beside a commercial truck where the truck driver has limited or zero visibility.
- Maneuvering to the right of a truck that is making a right turn.
- Misjudging an approaching truck’s speed at an intersection.
- Making a left turn in front of the truck.
- Merging improperly into traffic, causing a truck to maneuver or brake quickly.
- Failure to slow down or speed up when a truck begins to change lanes.
- Unsafe passing, particularly passing with insufficient headway.
- Being blown out of position by the air turbulence or cross-wind when passing a truck.
- Driving between large trucks.
- Abandoning a vehicle in a travel lane, or failing to get a broken down vehicle completely off the highway or onto the road shoulder.
