There are tens of thousands of truck accidents every year and the majority of them involve passenger vehicles. Defensive driving, even if you are not at fault, can save lives. Here are tips to reduce your risk as a driver of a passenger vehicle while out on the road.

• Drive at a safe distance from semi trucks and other vehicles. This is from zero to 35 miles per hour, a safe following distance is two seconds behind. With the higher speeds, this distance will increase to allow for safe stops. When weather is poor, fog, rain, ice or snow, you should decrease your speeds and distance between other vehicles to allow response time if you need to stop or slow down.
• Don’t drive in blind spots. You’ll know you’re in a blind spot if you can’t see the driver and they can’t see you. When you’re in a blind spot (also includes “No-Zones” for trucks) you leave yourself at risk for being invisible to the driver.
• Drive consistently, not erratically. Speeding up and slowing down or changing lanes often and sporatically can create a problem for the driver of a semi. They likely won’t be able to track where you are and know if you are in their “No-Zone” when they need to make a quick lane change.

Avoiding accidents through defensive driving will help reduce the number of truck accidents each year, especially if more people are driving smart. If you do end up as a victim of a truck accident, contact us at The Igwe Firm. Our experienced lawyers in Philadelphia defend the rights of those on both sides of truck accidents.