Speeding is instrumental in many truck crashes

States post speed limits to ensure your safety and that of other drivers under general conditions, but truck drivers in Kentucky and on highways across the U.S. have to pay special attention to road and weather situations that require extra caution. Often this means operating at slower speeds. Our staff at Gary C Johnson PSC have seen many incidents in which a large truck travelling too fast for the conditions, caused a serious highway crash.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration lists several traffic conditions that could cause a speeding truck to collide with your vehicle. Whether a negligent truck driver speeds through bad weather or over bad roads, you are vulnerable to injury or death from a rollover or a collision. Adverse circumstances include the following:

• Wet roads
• Reduced visibility due to fog
• Construction zones
• Heavy traffic

Curves can be a particular hazard for large trucks. A truck’s high center of gravity can cause a truck to roll over if it enters a curve too fast. You may not have the time or the space to get out of the way of a large truck that has lost control.

Even without gravelly roads and wet weather, semi trucks that speed pose a danger to you and everyone else on the road. Truck drivers who feel under pressure to meet delivery deadlines may choose to drive faster than is safe. Trucking Truth states that a truck travelling at 55 miles per hour requires six seconds and a distance of 290 feet before it can stop. If there is a problem, you could be hit by a truck that cannot stop in time. To learn more about highway driving hazards, please visit our page.