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What Are Truck No-Zones and How You Can Avoid Them

Published on Aug 27, 2024 at 1:15 pm in Truck Accidents.

Large trucks transport goods across Illinois’ roads, highways, and interstates. When you drive, you will need to share the road with these massive vehicles. However, you need to exercise a heightened level of caution and awareness around these trucks.

You may have heard of “no-zones” around trucks, but what are they? These areas are hazardous spots around large vehicles, like commercial trucks. If you happen to drive in these posts, you need to proceed with caution.

At Schweickert Ganassin Krzak Rundio, LLP, we have handled many truck accident cases, many of which happen within these spaces.

So, what are truck no-zones, and how can you avoid them? Here are a few pointers that you will want to know to stay safe on the road.

Are the Spikes on Tractor-Trailer Tires Dangerous?

Published on Aug 13, 2024 at 3:16 pm in Truck Accidents.

Spikes on tractor-trailer tires, often referred to as “lug nut covers” or “wheel spikes,” have sparked both curiosity and concern among U.S. drivers.

These accessories, which are intimidating to some, can be seen on the wheels of many large trucks, adding an aggressive aesthetic to the vehicles.

But…are the spikes on tractor-trailer tires dangerous?

Let’s look at some of the reasons truckers use these wheel spikes, what (if any) safety implications surround them, the ongoing debate regarding their use, and whether they contribute to damages in an Ottawa, IL trucking accident.

Under What Conditions Is Spine Fusion Surgery Required After a Truck Crash?

Published on Jul 30, 2024 at 2:56 pm in Truck Accidents.

Under what conditions is spine fusion surgery required after a truck crash?

In a collision between a semi-truck and a car, the truck will dominate. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a semi-truck can outweigh a car by 30 times. Even a slight “tap” from a truck can result in a devasting accident that results in a car being totaled and the driver being severely injured. Under what conditions is spine fusion surgery required after a truck crash?

How To Avoid Being in a Truck Accident

Published on May 26, 2023 at 4:55 pm in Truck Accidents.

How To Avoid Being in a Truck Accident

Illinois has 2,185 miles of interstate and multiple ports that receive and send international goods, making our state a major hub of commerce in the United States. While this is excellent for our local economy, it also forces drivers to share the road with a significant number of tractor-trailers from all around the country.

Data from the Illinois Department of Transportation shows that there were 11,741 semi-truck crashes in 2019. Of those, 100 were fatal and another 1,814 left victims with mild to moderate injuries. Another 311 caused incapacitating injuries, including broken limbs, chest and back injuries, head injuries, abdominal injuries, and more. If an injury prevents a victim from driving, walking, working, or otherwise engaging in activities they were capable of prior to the accident, it is considered an incapacitating injury.

How Can the Truck Driver Shortage Impact Road Safety?

Published on Dec 9, 2022 at 6:14 pm in Truck Accidents.

How Can the Truck Driver Shortage Impact Road Safety
In 2021, it was reported by American Trucking Associations (ATA) that the trucking industry was roughly 80,000 drivers short of where it needed to be. That number was projected to pass 160,000 by 2030. The ATA estimated that one million new drivers will need to be recruited and hired over the next ten years to keep up with industry growth and replace drivers who will retire, resign, or be removed from duties for violating regulations.

If you’ve been to a grocery or retail store in recent months, chances are you have seen the effects of the truck driver shortage. As consumers, we experience the obvious effects of an employee shortage in an industry that is integral to over 70% of the nation’s economy – both price increases and lack of inventory.

How Much Slower Should Trucks Travel in Poor Conditions?

Published on Aug 26, 2022 at 3:42 pm in Truck Accidents.

How Much Slower Should Trucks Travel in Poor Conditions?
Whether you drive a box truck, like those available for rent at U-Haul or Penske, or an 80,000 pound 18-wheeler, there will invariably come a time when you will find yourself driving in inclement weather. While you might want to keep your foot heavy on the gas pedal in such weather conditions to minimize the chances of reaching your destination late, doing so is ill-advised.

Multiple studies show precisely why that is the case, one of which comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to data compiled by the government agency, wet roads and careless driving contribute to some 70% of weather-related vehicle accidents. But the reality of what happens on American roadways in poor weather conditions does not end there.

Does Ice Increase the Chances of a Jackknife Accident?

Published on Apr 13, 2022 at 3:03 pm in Truck Accidents.

truck at sunrise

When news stations show winter weather accidents, you’ll often see your fair share of crashes involving trucks. Many times you’ll see trucks that flipped over as they attempted to pass another motorist or round a circle turn when transitioning from one interstate to another. On some occasions, you’ll catch a glimpse of a rare phenomenon that is a jackknife incident.

How Much Slower Should Trucks Travel in Wintery Conditions?

Published on Apr 5, 2022 at 11:55 am in Truck Accidents.

snow on trucks

As Illinois drivers, we are all too familiar with the winter weather and how it can make driving more dangerous than during the warmer summer months. It is not just up to passenger vehicle drivers to exercise caution in unsafe driving conditions, though. Big rig and, semi-tractor trailer and other truck drivers also need to do their part to keep everyone on the roads safe during wintertime.

There are many actions that truck drivers can take to be safer, but perhaps one of the most important is to simply slow down. But exactly how much slower should trucks travel in wintery conditions? That depends on what type of weather and road conditions a driver is presented with. However, one important piece of advice sticks out—slower is almost always better.

What Causes Truck Accidents?

Published on Jan 21, 2022 at 3:48 pm in Truck Accidents.

What Causes Truck Accidents
Sharing the road with tractor trailers can be complicated. Even when you’re all driving safely and following the rules of the road, there’s still the potential for a collision to happen at any moment. The idea of accidents is scary enough on its own, but when a commercial truck is involved, the crash instantly has even more potential to be devastating.

The reason truck accidents can be so damaging and cause serious injuries is mainly because of the size difference when the collision is between a regular vehicle and a tractor trailer. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), large trucks can weigh up to 30 times more than passenger vehicles. This means that when they collide, the passengers of regular sized cars can suffer from far more severe or deadly injuries.

How Many Accidents Are Caused by Semi Trucks?

Published on Nov 30, 2021 at 11:46 am in Truck Accidents.

trucks on the road

Collisions of any kind can be serious and cause injuries and other damages. When it comes to accidents caused by semi trucks, those injuries could be even more dangerous, and could be deadly for those in a passenger vehicle if they’re involved in the collision as well.

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