As the driver of a passenger car, you must follow certain rules of the road that are designed to protect everyone on the road and to assure that people arrive at their destination safely. A semi-truck driver has extra responsibility. Why? Because their trucks can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds and can completely devastate anything they get into a collision with. Since semi-trucks can cause catastrophic injuries, the potential danger to the public is significant. As a result, commercial truck drivers have additional requirements that a person in a car doesn’t have.
How does adverse weather affect a truck driver?
Though California is known for its mild weather, we do of course experience any number of adverse weather types, depending on where you are in the state. From fog to sleet to rain to snow, any type of weather besides complete sunshine can be dangerous and requires truck drivers to follow specific rules.
While car drivers are given more leeway to decide if the roads are safe for them, a semi-truck driver must discontinue their trip if the driving conditions are unsafe. As long as they’re subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, if they’re driving in adverse conditions then they need to lower their speed and pull off the roadway to stop traveling as soon as they can.
What happens if a truck driver doesn’t follow the appropriate safety regulations?
If you’re driving on the interstate or through town and you see a semi-truck driver who doesn’t appear to be driving very safely, you have a few options. First, if you believe that their behavior is putting other people at risk then it is appropriate to call the police. Give them all the information you can about the truck, including its location, size, color, license plate, company, etc.
If you see a truck that’s driving erratically but it’s not posing an immediate threat to those around you, then you can get information from the side or rear of the truck that tells you who to call to report their driving. Some people don’t bother doing this because they assume that the trucking companies don’t take it seriously. While it’s likely true that some don’t take these calls seriously at all, other companies do, and most companies are going to start taking them seriously if they get enough calls about the same driver.
Do you know what to do if you’ve been involved in an accident with a semi-truck driver?
Many people don’t realize that if they’re involved in a truck accident that they should contact a personal injury attorney. At Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas, we offer a free case evaluation and can let you know what your options are. Call us today at 909-982-0707 to get started.
