NYC Truck Accident Lawyer Discusses Winter Time Tractor Trailer Hazards

Truck Accidents are more dangerous because of the heavy loads trailers carry and are much more dangerous in the winter. A loaded trailer on an 18-wheeler can be 30,000 to 70,000 pounds. Most companies and owner-operators try to operate their vehicles safely, but winter driving introduces additional hazards. These include ice, snow, sleet, freezing rain, and foggy conditions.

Tractor trailers and other big commercial vehicles still have the same disadvantages they have in good weather. Their huge mass makes it harder for a driver to stop or dodge a hazard on the road. Trucks are more vulnerable to strong cross winds. A heavy load can make it harder for a driver to recover after losing control.

Winter can magnify all of those problems. Trucks might be more resistant to sliding on snow and ice, but not by much. Their size makes them far more dangerous when they do slide out of control.

Commercial truck operators need to take the same safety precautions as drivers of private cars, including ensuring their tires and in good shape and the brakes work correctly. Even if the mechanical parts of the truck are fine, ice and snow can make a truck get out of control in a flash. Truck drivers sometimes forget this, just as car drivers forget that icy roads are dangerous.

A truck loaded with merchandise or construction supplies is harder to stop just because of its mass. Speed magnifies the difficulties of braking effectively. If the road is a little more slippery than the driver expected, a crash might be unavoidable.

Car and tractor-trailer collisions are almost always a disaster for the person or persons in the car. If you were seriously injured in a truck accident and suspect the other party was at fault, contact us to discuss your case.