Florida
Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

You probably pass them on the streets every day – dangerous trucks that could cause an accident that leads to fatalities or permanent serious injuries. Do you know how to spot a dangerous truck? Being able to locate and stay away from dangerous trucks can help prevent a truck-car accident. Being able to identify and report unsafe drivers could prevent an accident as well. Here’s what to look for.

1) A trailer that is weaving dangerously from side to side. A truck that is overloaded past its capacity may suffer from tire blowouts, tire defects or other serious mechanical failures. If a trailer is not correctly attached or a load is not correctly secured, a truck could cause a serious accident. A trailer that moves excessively from side to side can enter other lanes of traffic as well.

2) Leaks or objects falling from the trailer. Any leaks from a truck could indicate that the truck is not property maintained. Leaks of cargo may suggest that the cargo is not correctly stored. If the leaks are of flammable materials, the truck could cause a serious fire and burn injuries. Any objects that fall from the trailer can obstruct traffic and crash into oncoming cars, causing car accidents. Always report such incidents.

3) Aggressive driving. A driver that changes lanes abruptly or cuts other vehicles off may be too inexperienced to drive a truck or may be suffering from road rage. Aggressive driving is extremely dangerous, especially when a truck is involved. The sheer size of a commercial truck can crash or completely destroy smaller passenger vehicles. Aggressive driving may also be a sign of a driver under the influence. Report such actions immediately – this is an emergency.

4) Weaving between lanes or straddling lanes or markers. Trucks need to remain correctly in lanes, especially since they have sp many blind spots and may crash into smaller vehicles in other lanes. A truck that is straddling markers or is weaving excessively may be driven by a drunk or fatigued driver. This is an emergency – contact authorities at once to report the truck.

5) Obvious driver errors. If a truck driver is driving very slowly, is driving on the wrong side of the road, is entering the shoulder, is following other cars too closely, or is making other obvious errors (such as incorrect signaling or nearly hitting objects), he or she may be fatigued or may be driving under the influence. Call authorities at once, before an accident takes place. By reporting the truck, you could prevent a drunk driving accident.

Most passenger vehicle drivers pass dozens of trucks each day on highways and roads. While most of these trucks are safe and are driven by responsible drivers, not all are. Some trucks are obviously a danger on the roads, and you may have driven right past these trucks on the road. You may have seen signs of danger – a speeding truck, a truck weaving on the road or taking reckless risks. Do you know what to do if you see an unsafe truck? Doing the right thing can help prevent a trucking accident and may save a life. Here’s what to do:

1) Take steps to keep yourself and your passengers safe. Your first priority should be to avoid a trucking accident. Give yourself extra room and expect the unexpected. Make sure that you and your passengers are all wearing seat belts. Be prepared to drive defensively.

2) Take down truck details. If you are driving with a passenger, ask the passenger to note the license plate number of the truck, as well as the company name and number on both the cab and the trailer, if possible. Keep in mind that the trailer and cab might be from different companies. If you are driving alone, pull over to jot down the information or call it in to a cell phone.

3) Gather evidence if you can. If you are driving with a passenger, consider using a cell phone or digital camera to take pictures of the truck. Do not get closer to the truck in order to do so, however. Maintain your distance. Have your passenger note the date, time, road area, and any other significant details.

4) Contact authorities. If you suspect a truck driver is under the influence, you can prevent a drunk driving accident by contacting the authorities at once. Pull over and call 911 to report the driver and the truck. If you notice a truck making a few dangerous mistakes and don’t feel that there is imminent danger, use the contact information on the truck to contact the trucking company. Follow up to ensure that some action has been taken following your report.

5) Avoid the driver. Do not confront the driver, beep, or wave at him. If the driver is under the influence or is aggressive, this could provoke more aggressive driving – possibly targeted at your smaller vehicle. Maintain a safe distance. If a truck is following you and acting aggressively, drive down different streets until you find a bridge, covered parking lot or other more secure area where the truck cannot follow you. Then, contact authorities.

Congress as well as state governments have spend considerable amounts of time over the past few years discussing hours-of-service regulations for the trucking industry. This issue is so important because driver fatigue has been linked to many serious trucking accidents. Having federal and state governments set guidelines for hours-of-service is important, as it ensures that drivers get adequate rest when driving.

However, hours-of-service debates always spark controversy. Deciding the exact optimal number of hours per driver is difficult. As well, trucking companies want drivers to be able to drive for longer periods of time in order to ensure profitability. Drivers, too, often want to be able to drive for longer periods of time to ensure a good wage. As well, reducing hours-of-service to the bare minimum may also have some adverse effects, some experts warn, as it ensures that drivers must remain on the road longer to complete one delivery, and this extended period on the road can mean increased driver fatigue as well. Plus, very low hours-of-service may contribute to longer delays of delivery as well as increased costs for customers.

Hours-of-service rules limit how many hours and how long drivers can drive. The regulations also require drivers to maintain driver logs to ensure that all drivers comply with hours-of-service rules. The aim of hours-of-service is to ensure that drivers get adequate rest and are not pressured to drive too long before resting. The idea to is reduce trucking accidents and the personal injuries they cause by limiting one of the key reasons for driver fatigue: long hours behind the wheel. Since the hours-of-service rules apply to all drivers and trucking companies, trucking companies do not have to worry about losing a competitive edge by allowing drivers more time to rest.

Hours-of-service rules include not just driving time but all on-duty time. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a truck driver is subject to hours-of-service rules and is considered to be on-duty when on duty at any terminal, plant or facility belonging to a truck shipper or carrier. A driver is also on duty and subject to hours-of-service rules when driving, when inspecting a truck, when fuelling and washing a truck, when spending time in the cab (not including the sleeper berth), when caring for a broken-down truck, when taking care of truck-related paper work, when loading and when unloading. A driver is also subject to hours-of-service regulations when supervising or attending a truck, when providing samples for drug/alcohol testing, when driving a company car, and when receiving or offering training. Further, a truck driver is limited by hours-of-service rules when working for any motor carrier – even if that work does not include driving a truck – and when doing paid work for anyone else. These rules ensure that drivers are not exhausted from doing additional work or from doing trucking-related work.

Hours-of-service regulations affect anyone. These rules affect how quickly products get to you when you order them and affect how much you pay for various products. More importantly, hours-of-service regulations ensure that the truck driver next to you on the road has had adequate rest and is less likely to cause an accident that threatens your life. All of us need to keep informed about hours-of-service rules and work to ensure that all truck companies adhere to these regulations.

If you have been injured in a trucking accident and suspect that negligence may have played a role, contact a qualified Florida personal injury attorney immediately. Even if you are not sure what has caused an accident, a Florida attorney can hire investigators to get the answers you need. A good Florida personal injury lawyer can advise you about your rights and can ensure that you get the full protection and assistance you are entitled to under the law.

Trucking accidents are often on the news. For many of us, trucking accidents are no more than an annoyance that makes rush-hour traffic even slower. However, for those who are unfortunate enough to be in a trucking accident, the effects of these accidents can be devastating. Trucking accidents often cause:

1) Wrongful death. Unfortunately, due to the sheer size and force of trucks, fatalities are a common result of trucking accidents. If someone’s negligence causes a trucking accident and you lose a loved one, you may have a wrongful death claim. You generally may have a wrongful death claim if you were directly related to the loved one and that person affected your current or future financial well-being. For example, if you have lost a spouse in a trucking accident, you may have a claim because you have lost half your household income.

2) Burn injuries. If a truck is carrying a flammable cargo, this cargo can spill or leak during an accident, causing a fire. If the cargo is not correctly secured, such a fire can quickly rage out of control, causing fatalities as well as serious burn injuries.

3) Head injuries and spinal cord injuries. The impact of a truck hitting a vehicle can toss passengers about with great force, causing head injuries and spinal cord as passengers ricochet off surfaces inside the vehicle. Air bags and seatbelts can help reduce such injuries, but even with these safety devices, brain injuries and spinal cord injuries are quite common in trucking accidents.

4) Cosmetic injuries. Burn injuries and cuts incurred during accidents can cause long-term scarring and injuries to the face, which can make victims feel uncomfortable and self-conscious. If a passenger is thrown from a vehicle, they may sustain serious cosmetic injuries as their face comes into contact with broken glass or with a pavement. Even passengers strapped inside a car may have debris fly at them, causing cosmetic injuries which require expensive surgery to repair.

5) Broken bones. The impact of a car-truck collision is often enough to break bones for passengers inside the car. Depending on the bones broken, these fractures can cause permanent injury or can take months or heal.

Continue reading " The Horrifying Effects of Truck Accidents " »

After a trucking accident causes personal injuries or fatalities, legal cases usually arise from the mess as people start to accuse each other – and various companies – of causing the accident. In most cases, several factors contribute to a trucking accident. These may include weather conditions, driver error, tire defects, mechanical defects and other issues. Understanding how trucking accidents can occur can help us all stay safer on the roads.

Many trucking accidents are caused by driver error. There are many things that truck drivers can do to make trucks dangerous on the roads. Some drivers simply have too little experience or training to drive safely, while some truck drivers exceed the speed limit. Some drivers drive under the influence or drive when tired, increasing the risk of a serious accident. Drivers are also responsible for inspecting the truck before a trip and ensuring that a truck is correctly loaded. Failure to do these things can result in an accident.

Truck drivers are not the only drivers on the road responsible for preventing trucking accidents. In many cases, drivers of passenger vehicles drive recklessly or make driver mistakes that lead to a trucking accidents. Many drivers drive in the blind spots of trucks, where truck drivers cannot see them. Other drivers cut lanes in front of larger trucks or follow too closely behind a truck. Since trucks have many blind spots and cannot stop as quickly as smaller vehicles, these errors can result in serious accidents and personal injuries. Like truck drivers, drivers of passenger cars sometimes get distracted, drive under the influence, speed, drive while tired or drive recklessly, increasing the odds of car accidents and truck accidents.

In addition to driver errors, weather conditions and road conditions can lead to accidents, as can mechanical failure, machine failure, heavy cargo, and incorrectly loaded cargo. Trucks with defects are more likely to be in an accident. Incorrectly loaded hazardous cargo can spill or ignite, causing an inferno as well as serious damage. Trucks that are incorrectly maintained may develop mechanical problems or mechanical failures that lead to accidents.

Whatever set of factors causes a trucking accident, the results tend to be severe. Truck accidents claim millions of lives. Quite simply, trucks, when fully loaded, can weigh dozens of tons, and yet these large vehicles share the road with much smaller passenger cars. When a truck-car collision occurs, the passengers of the passenger vehicle are in serious danger. If fatalities do not occur, serious injuries to the spinal cord, head, limbs, and face are quite common. If a truck is carrying a hazardous of flammable cargo, a collision can cause a fire that results in severe burn injuries and death.

In addition to the obvious physical injuries, truck accidents also cause a number of other problems for injury victims. Some victims lose significant amounts of personal property in a truck accident – cars in such accidents are often seriously damaged and need extensive repairs or need to be replaced entirely. Victims may also lose all personal effects in a vehicle. The trauma and psychological effects of a trucking accident may last many months or years and may necessitate therapy or time off from work. It is important to note that insurance providers often underestimate the costs of such additional effects, which is why injury victims should at least consult with a qualified Florida personal injury attorney before agreeing to any insurance provider’s offer.

Of all trucking accidents caused by mechanical failures, the most common accidents leading to these collisions are tire defects and brake failure. According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), 29.4% of all accidents involving large trucks occurred as a result of brake-related problems. A sizeable number of accidents were cased by tire defects or tire-related issues.

Brake failure leading to a serious trucking accident may be caused by a number of factors. The driver may be liable if he or she does not apply or use the brakes correctly. The company loading the truck may be responsible if the truck was loaded incorrectly, causing undue stress on the tires. The owner-operator of the truck may be liable for the accident if the brakes were not correctly maintained. The brake manufacturer may be responsible if there was a defect in the design or assembly of the truck’s brake system. Unfortunately, after an accident, all parties involved tend to blame each other. A brake manufacturer may suggest that a truck company did not perform adequate maintenance, while the trucking company might blame an aggressive driver, who in turn might blame the company loading the truck. It often takes an astute Florida personal injury attorney to investigate all possible causes of an accident.

There are strict regulations handed down from the government to the trucking industry. These standards demand that all trucks have brakes which adhere to established automatic brake adjustment system requirements. Under federal guidelines, truck brakes must allow for a certain braking force (which is established differently for trucks of different weight. Under federal rules, all trucks must also have a braking system which allows them to stop from 20 miles per hour to full stop at a specific rate (the rate is determined by truck size). If a truck does not meet these guidelines, the company owning the truck, the brake manufacturer and the driver may be held liable for any damages occurring from a collision.

In addition to brakes, tires are also a major cause of trucking accidents. Tire blowouts leave long strips of tires on the road and these accidents can be fatal, as tire blowouts can cause tire debris to fly at other vehicles on the road. Tire defects and blowouts can also cause truck drivers to lose control of their vehicles, veering their trucks into other cars on the road.

Defective tires and incorrect tire maintenance are the most common causes of tire-related truck accidents. Defective tires are usually the result of a design flaw by the manufacturer or are the result of a manufacturing process flaw. Many tires are recalled due to defects and after a recall truck companies must ensure that defective and recalled tires are no longer used on their trucks. Trucking companies must also maintain their tires correctly. For example, tires must meet minimum tread depth guidelines established by the Department of Transportation. Tires must also have similar wear and must be paired correctly according to size. The same axle must have the same radial or bias tires. When tires get worn, they must be replaced.

Trucking companies are responsible for ensuring that correct tire maintenance is seen to, but drivers may also be held liable in an accident if they noticed tire problems or other mechanical problems and failed to report these issues. Drivers are expected to perform pre-trip inspections of the truck and tires. If a driver fails to do this and an accident occurs, the driver may be held partly liable.

Everyone hopes that they never need this advice. Being in a truck accident almost ensures serious injury or fatalities. The size of these trucks ensures that any serious collision results in serious damage. As well, many trucking accidents take place on highways, where speed may also be a factor and may exacerbate the damages. If you are in a trucking accident, here is what you need to do:

1) Secure the safety scene. If you are in a trucking accident, your first priority is to get as many people to safety as you can and to protect others on the road from danger. Call 911 if anyone has been injured or if any damage has occurred and divert traffic from the scene. If there is a danger of fire, move everyone as far away from the truck as possible, and refuse to allow traffic to pass. This can help prevent further injuries, including serious burn injuries.

2) Get medical attention. Anyone who has sustained even slight injuries should receive medical help immediately. Keep in mind that seemingly small head injuries and other seemingly innocuous injuries may turn out to be more serious than initially thought. Getting medical help also helps you secure evidence if you have been injured. Get the contact information for any medical personnel who arrive on the scene to assist you. If you are admitted to a hospital, get the contact information of the attending physician as well as a copy of your medical records.

3) Gather evidence. In many cases, trucking accidents eventually lead to legal action. All result in some form of insurance claim. Therefore, you should take down as much information as you can about the accident and everyone involved. Take pictures of the accident scene, get the contact information for the driver, trucking company, and the company name on both the tractor and trailer. Also, get contact information for any possible witnesses.

4) Keep track of evidence. If you are injured, start a journal to keep track of medical expenses and associated expenses (make sure to keep all receipts as well). In your journal, also note your injuries and how they affect your daily life. Take photos of your injuries over time as well. All this information can be used for your attorneys.

5) Contact a qualified Florida personal injury attorney. If a trucking accident has resulted in a fatality, police will usually have investigators gather evidence. If you have sustained an injury or have lost someone, it is important to contact a good attorney as soon as you can. As you recover or grieve, your attorney can work to investigate the accident and can safeguard your rights as well. Never sign anything after an accident unless you have spoken to an attorney first.

18-wheeler trucks are huge commercial vehicles that can cause many serious personal injuries and a great deal of damage in trucking accidents. The sheer size and force of these trucks makes them a danger in accidents. According to statistics, 5,000 fatalities and 115,000 personal injuries are caused by truck accidents involving 18-wheelers each year. These trucks weigh up to 70 tons when fully loaded, so when a collision occurs between such a vehicle and a passenger vehicle, fatalities and serious injuries are almost always the result.

Claims and legal issues surrounding 18-wheeler trucks can also be quite complicated. For this reason, it is often a good idea to get legal advice from a Florida attorney soon after any accident involving an 18-wheeler truck. There are many reasons why accidents involving 18-wheeler trucks present special challenges:

1) These trucks are often owned by out-of-state companies. This can complicate legal issues and can make it harder to establish jurisdiction in some cases, especially as rules vary from state to state.

2) Important evidence may disappear after an accident. 18-wheeler trucks cause serious damage after an accident. For example, such trucks can cause serious fires. In addition to posing a risk of burn injuries, such fires can damage important evidence important to a case. It is important to contact an attorney immediately. A good Florida attorney can hire private investigators who can uncover and preserve important evidence.

3) Accidents involving 18-wheeler trucks tend to result in serious and long term injuries. In addition to fatalities, such accidents frequently result in chronic pain, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, and other serious injuries. Determining the final, life-long costs of such injuries can be difficult and insurance companies often underestimate the total costs required to treat and manage such conditions. A good Florida attorney is needed to safeguard your rights and to ensure that you have the financial resources to correctly cope with any long-term injury.

4) Several insurance sources might be available. Accidents involving 18-wheeler trucks may involve complex liability claims. Such accidents may be caused by a driver, a company, and a truck manufacturer. An injury victim may qualify for help from several insurance providers, but a good attorney must first identify and then contact these insurance carriers.

For all these reasons, it is a good idea to contact a good Florida personal injury attorney soon after any accident involving an 18-wheeler truck or any other vehicle. Attorneys can safeguard your rights and can help ensure that you have the resources to recover as fully as possible from your injuries.

Truck accidents are caused by many factors, and while drivers of passenger vehicles are not always to blame for truck accidents and resulting personal injury, trucks sharing the roads with much smaller vehicles does pose some unique challenges. If you drive a passenger vehicle, you can do your part to prevent truck accidents by:

1) Driving behind or in front of a truck. Lingering next to a truck is a bad idea, since this is where trucks have many blind spots. If you can, pass a truck or drive well behind a truck. Keep in mind that trucks have large blind spots behind their trailers as well, so give yourself extra room. Maintain at least a four second distance, and more than that in bad weather or poor visibility.

2) Slowing down when a truck passes you. When a larger vehicle passes you, dirt and water from the truck’s tires can spray up at you. If the truck is traveling quickly and you have a low-slung car, especially, much of your windshield could be covered in dirt. Obviously, this problem is worse in bad weather when mud and rain create more muck for the truck to churn up. If a truck is passing you, slow down slightly and be prepared to use your windshield wipers in case you are momentarily blinded.

3) Using extra caution when a truck pulling a trailer passes you. The trailer could swing into your lane in certain conditions. If possible, give the truck some extra room by squeezing over. Or, drop back a little to give the truck some extra room and to give yourself maneuvering space should you need it.

4) Avoiding sandwiches. No, not the snacks. If you are traveling between two trucks, keep in mind that one of the trucks might not see you and if this truck starts to pull into your lane you could be crushed. Be aware of trucks around you and avoid getting caught between two large vehicles.

5) Giving trucks extra room on hills. If you are behind a larger truck on a hill, keep in mind that the truck may move slightly backwards before moving forward. Keep this in mind if you are on a hill behind a truck and need to stop. Give yourself lots of room.

Loading docks are a workplace filled with people and trucks. Occasionally, a bad truck accident takes place on the loading dock. In almost all cases, these accidents are completely preventable if employees do the following:

1) Drivers should avoid walking in front of lift trucks. Although it seems obvious, truck drivers are sometimes so used to lift trucks that they do not use due caution around them. Drivers should always be careful when entering or exiting their truck cab.

2) Drivers should check for lift trucks before pulling away. Once again, this seems obvious, but familiarity breeds a casual attitude that can lead to truck accidents and pedestrian accidents. Drivers should walk around their vehicle to make sure the lift truck is not still in the trailer. Once in the cab, drivers should carefully check blind spots before pulling away.

3) All workers on loading docks should watch for trailer movement. Many injuries are caused by trailers moving when someone climbs into them. All employees at loading docks should make sure that ramps, levelers, and dockboards are secure and that the trailer is braked and choked.

4) Loading docks should keep pedestrians away. Loading docks would see fewer personal injuries and pedestrian accidents if lift truck traffic and pedestrian traffic were separated by pedestrian walkways that are protected by rails. Employees of loading docks should be taught to never walk under a lift or load. Signs indicating this advice should be well posted.

5) Loading docks should keep speed limits low. Higher speeds on ramps, dockplates and bridge plates can cause accidents when these items are loosened by acceleration. Slow speeds ensure that accidents are less likely. In addition to traveling slowly, truck drivers and lift operators should have someone spot them in areas where visibility is poor due to obstructions.

6) Loading docks should offer well-lit work areas. Good lighting ensures that lift operators, employees of the loading docks, and lift truck operators can see each other. Good lighting also ensures that any problem areas or weaknesses in dockplates, bridge plates and ramps can be seen and fixed promptly.

Highways are where many drivers share the road quite frequently with trucks. Unfortunately, the sheer mass of a truck combined with the speed of highway travel can make any truck/car accident devastating to the passengers of a passenger car. These passengers are almost certain to sustain serious personal injury. Luckily, there are many things drivers can do to prevent trucking accidents:

1) Stay out of truck blind spots. The blind spots on a tractor trailer can be large. Any time you cannot see the driver’s face in his mirror, you are likely in the truck’s blind spot. Lingering there can be fatal. Avoid driving alongside a truck. Pass rapidly or drop back. Since trucks are long, it can take some time to pass them. Keep this in mind if you are attempting to pass a truck. The blind spot on a truck’s left side is much smaller, so where possible pass on the left.

2) Slow down if a tractor trailer is too close behind you. Many drivers are tempted to speed up if a truck is tailgating them but this can be the wrong thing to do. By law, a tractor trailer should leave 400 feet between your vehicles, but if a truck follows too close, what you most need is extra room. By slowing down, you increase the space between you and the vehicle in front of you. If a car stops suddenly in front of you due to a tire defect, rollover, or other problem, you have room to maneuver out of the truck’s way. If you don’t leave yourself room, there is no where to go and the truck will roll right into you if you have to stop suddenly.

3) Drive well back of tractor trailers. You should be able to see the side view mirrors of the truck in front of you. Keep in mind that there is a good blind spot behind trucks, so giving yourself extra room ensures the driver can see you.

4) Report bad driving. If you see a truck following too closely, speeding, or driving poorly, write down the registration and license plate numbers of the truck. Write a letter to the company who owns the truck and follow up. If a truck driver is being very aggressive or reckless – weaving or entering oncoming lanes, contact local authorities.

5) Be vigilant on entrance ramps. If you are just entering a roadway, check for trucks. Trucks take some time to slow down, so make sure you have plenty of space to zip out in front of a truck or wait until it passes before entering the roadway.

Hyster Company has researched pedestrian accidents involving lift trucks and has found that these accidents are very frequent (even though they are quite avoidable). The researchers also found that such accidents have a high rate of serious personal injury and fatalities. According to the Hyster study, there are many ways to significantly reduce lift truck pedestrian accidents:

1) Maintain lift truck visibility. Signs indicating that construction is in progress can help pedestrians see and avoid lift trucks. In addition to signs, however, reflectors on the trucks can increase visibility in the dark and in bad weather. Audible warning devices are also useful in showing pedestrians that a lift truck is nearby.

2) Train pedestrians. Pedestrians do have a responsibility to avoid these trucking accidents. In some cases, pedestrians ignore or miss warning signs and walk into construction areas or the path of lift trucks. Even employees of a construction site will sometimes not use due diligence in avoiding lift trucks.

3) Train lift truck operators to look in the direction of travel. When a lift truck is backing up, the operator should turn around and watch to see where he or she is going. When moving forward, the operator’s eyes should be forward at all times. Seeing the space immediately where the truck is moving allows the operator to see and respond to any obstacles. The Hyster study found that the same number of accidents occurred when operators were moving forward as reversing, so obviously operators need to be careful both when driving forward and back.

4) Minimize distraction. The more confusion is present in a construction or work area, the more likely lift truck accidents are. To minimize such accidents, it is a good idea to minimize distractions at the workplace, so that the lift trucks are visible and the audible signals can be heard. A good workplace layout can also be useful, especially if separate areas are maintained for vehicles and pedestrians.

5) Enforce good operating rules for lift trucks. Companies and managers can help prevent lift truck accidents by implementing good rules for operators. For example, if operators are required to sound the horn when changing directions or approaching an intersection or pedestrian area, this can help prevent accidents. Careful enforcement of such rules can help keep everyone safe.

Today light trucks such as pickup trucks are so popular among customers that many people do not even consider whether they should in fact drive a truck. Trucks are not the ideal vehicle for everyone. You might not want to drive a truck if:

1) You do not check blind spots carefully. Trucks – even smaller trucks – have more blind spots than passenger vehicles and you need to be willing to check these carefully. You need to be scanning these areas all the time to prevent car accidents and pedestrian accidents. Since mirrors alone are often not enough, you will need to actually turn your head to look. If you are uncomfortable with blind spots or not careful about checking them, a truck is probably not for you.

2) You drive when tried or under the influence. Even smaller trucks can cause serious personal injury and harm – more so than smaller passenger vehicles, in some cases. If you drive under the influence or when fatigued, stay off the roads.

3) You have trouble parking small cars. Trucks are trickier to park due to more blind spots and a larger mass of vehicle. Many parking spots also tend to fit smaller cars more comfortably and of course not all drivers are courteous enough to leave others plenty of parking room. If you struggle with parking, master this skill before getting in a truck.

4) You feel nervous driving a truck. If you are anxious at the thought of a larger vehicle, wait until you get more comfortable before driving a truck. If you are too timid or too worried, you could cause an accident.

5) You do not need a truck. If you do not need a truck for day-to-day activities, you are better off driving a car. Cars have less risk of rollovers and are often easier to drive. If you don’t need a truck, you will also save on gas and generate less pollution by staying with a smaller vehicle.

6) You have certain mobility issues. Trucks can require you to climb up into a cab, which can be tricky if your mobility is hampered. It is possible to alter a truck in order to make it accessible, but keep in mind that this adds to your ownership costs.