When you see a big rig tearing down the Dallas Interstates, you’ll want to make sure you keep a respectful distance. A Texas truck accident lawyer, unfortunately, has to take a lot of claims where someone in a passenger car or truck was killed by a big rig. A truck accident lawyer can help you take on the trucking company after a wreck, but its best if you’re smart and remember to exercise a lot of caution when driving near one of these vehicles.

Visibility

The biggest risk you run when you get too close to a big rig is getting in a spot where the driver can’t see you. This is not at all hard to do. Big rigs have huge blind spots on them and any vehicle in those blind spots doesn’t exist for the driver checking behind or alongside of their big rig. Be sure you can always see the semi’s mirrors and the driver can see you.

Drafting

Some drivers get the seriously dangerous idea to follow a big rig closely to reduce their own vehicle’s wind resistance. To answer the question that makes most drivers do this: yes, it does improve your gas mileage. However, your gas mileage is not worth your life and this is a genuinely reckless thing to do. In addition to the danger of the big rig having to stop suddenly, there is a serious danger of something getting kicked up by the tires and smashing your windshield. Never tailgate a big rig. It’s negligence on your part, to be certain.

Passing

When you’re passing a big rig, remember that you’re going to need a lot of extra time to get by the vehicle. If it’s in the middle of accelerating, it’s going to take even longer. Once these vehicles start picking up speed, they can do so surprisingly fast. If you’re heading uphill, remember that the big rig is just going to end up passing you again when you head downhill, in all likelihood, so you may want to consider being patient and avoiding passing them until you’re on a flat stretch of road.

When they’re in Dallas itself, these vehicles will need some extra room when they make right turns. Don’t creep up on their right; they can easily end up running over your vehicle when they turn, causing injuries and, quite often, causing death to the drivers of the passenger vehicle.