When you drive on the roadways in New Mexico, you have to be aware of what other drivers on the roads are doing. This is especially true if you are driving around semi trucks. These large vehicles have special considerations that you must think about when you drive because an accident with a big rig can easily devastate your life.
Semi truck drivers have to keep their full attention on the road, but even that isn't enough sometimes. Other vehicles might dart in front of these vehicles. This might mean that the trucker has to try to take evasive maneuvers to avoid hitting that vehicle. Of course, the trucker probably doesn't want to put other drivers in harm's way.
Semi trucks need considerable distance to stop. Drivers who dart in front of them might not leave the trucker enough room to stop without hitting them. Interestingly, semi trucks that have had to do a lot of braking will likely have hot brakes. Hot brakes take longer to stop the truck than cool brakes. A semi truck moving at 55 mph needs around 450 feet to stop if the brakes are hot. If they aren't hot, the stopping distance is around 190 to 200 feet.
Truckers also need room to turn. Drivers shouldn't try to zip around big trucks that are making turns. This could lead to the car getting pinned by the truck, especially if the vehicle is in the trucker's blind spot.
If you are injured in a semi truck crash, you should likely seek medical care. You may also choose to seek compensation so that you can recover some money that you are out of because of the accident.
Source: Stop Unsafe Trucks, "The Facts and Statistics," accessed March 10, 2017
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