If you drive a truck or work with a truck, there are several things you can do to prevent trucking accidents and the personal injuries they cause:

1) Inspect the truck daily. Even if someone else – such as your employer – is doing regular maintenance on the truck, check your tires, turn signals and lights, windshields, mirrors, and fluids daily. If your truck is not in good condition, ensure that it is repaired before you drive it.

2) Get the correct training. Make sure that you familiarize yourself with truck driving in a controlled environment before taking a truck out on the road. Even if you have been trained in truck driving, get familiar with a new truck before you take it out on the road. You need to be familiar with the particular characteristics of a truck in order to understand how the truck will respond in various situations.

3) Do not drive if you are not alert. If you are drowsy or sick, it is dangerous to drive a truck. Trucks respond slower than cars and take longer to stop or slow down. Anything that reduces your response times is a hazard. While driving, take frequent breaks and walk around the truck to stretch to ensure that you don’t fall asleep at the wheel.

4) Keep well back from other vehicles. In a truck, you have more blind spots, so give yourself extra room. You also need additional space because it will take you longer to brake with a truck than with a car.

5) Be wary of ditches and soft shoulders. The heavy weight of a truck makes soft shoulders and ditches especially dangerous. Keep well back from these danger areas – they can cause your truck to tip over.

6) Be wary of what you load into the truck. Secure any heavy loads carefully to ensure that nothing moves or shifts as you drive. If you are transporting anything dangerous, make sure that you understand and follow all safety protocols.