Earlier this week, a woman in Memphis, Tennessee was crossing the street against the traffic light when she was struck by a tractor trailer during rush hour traffic. Several witnesses to that accident say that it looked as though the driver didn’t see the woman crossing the street and didn’t notice once he hit her.
According to a report by the local CBS affiliate, another driver saw the accident, made a U-turn, and pulled in front of the truck to stop it but by then it was too late. Another witness reported that he honked at the semi truck in hopes it would see the woman, but the driver’s efforts were useless. While the accident is still under investigation, the truck driver has not been charged with any crime at this point.
Maryland Semi Trucks and Pedestrian Safety
Generally, we think of semi trucks as operating mostly on the interstate freeways and highways. For this reason, a pedestrian may not be the most commonly thought of victim of a semi truck accident. However, truck-pedestrian accidents are more common than one may think and when they occur, they are often fatal for obvious reasons.
The reality is that semi trucks spend a good amount of their time on city streets. Most truck routes begin and end in a large city. While on these smaller, more difficult-to-navigate city roads, semi trucks are cumbersome goliaths that often have a hard time complying with traffic laws. This is in part due to their size but also due to their large blind spots that prevent drivers from seeing certain areas around them.
The Three Largest Semi Truck Blind Spots
Semi trucks have three main blind spots that drivers should stay out of, if possible. In order of their size, from largest to smallest, they are:
- The rear of the truck: Truck drivers don’t have a rear view mirror, and even if they did it wouldn’t do any good because their load is obscuring their field of vision. Be aware that while you are behind a truck, the driver cannot see you.
- The left side of the truck: The left side of the truck is the second largest blind spot due to the driver’s position in the left side of the cabin. A truck driver relies on the mirror and what he can see by tilting his head, which is not that much. This leaves a large blind spot towards the left-rear end of the truck.
- The right side of the truck: This is smaller than the blind spot on the left side of the truck due to the more effective placement of the truck’s side mirror. However, truck drivers will not be able to see objects along the middle of the right side.
Have You Been Injured in a Maryland Truck Accident?
If you have been injured in a Maryland truck accident, you should consult with an experienced Maryland truck accident attorney at the law firm of Lebowitz and Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers as soon as possible. One of the dedicated personal injury attorneys Lebowitz and Mzhen, is ready to speak with you about your Maryland truck accident case. Contact the firm online, or call 410-654-3600 today to speak to an experienced attorney.
More Blog Posts:
Pennsylvania Truck Driver Killed When His Tractor Trailer Runs Off the Road, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published January 20, 2014.
Two-Truck Accident on Christmas Eve Leaves One Dead in Virginia, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published January 13, 2014.