Automotive

How to Avoid Accidents When Driving a Cargo Truck in New Jersey

Truck accidents are a massive problem in the cargo truck industry and New Jersey makes no exception. Every year, hundreds of them occur in America.

For this reason, you must know how they usually occur and how you can prevent them.

In this article, we will mention the measures you can take as a truck driver to reduce the number of accidents and be proactive in preventing rollovers.

Keep scrolling!

What Causes Truck Accidents?

Various reasons cause truck accidents. They include poor driving conditions, such as darkness, distractions such as cell phones, bad weather, over speeding, and fatigue.

What Is A Cargo Truck?

It’s a large truck you can use for goods and cargo transportation. In New Jersey, cargo trucks:

  • Require a commercial driver’s license issued by the state in accordance with the federal laws and specific NJ regulations
  • Have a specific purpose
  • Are larger than standard vehicles

Some examples of cargo trucks include tankers, delivery trucks, and 18-wheelers.

How to Prevent Truck Accidents

There is no specific reason why rollovers occur. The only important thing is that you be careful and attentive when driving. However, in case you get an accident, our NJ truck accident attorneyknows what to pay attention to when analyzing truck accidents.

  1. Secure the Cargo Well

Load displacement is one of the significant causes of truck accidents. You should drive carefully when transporting heavy, delicate cargo.

Check all the straps, chains, and moorings before starting your trip and at each stop.

  1. Pay Attention

If you want your truck to arrive safely, then you must be attentive while on the road. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve been through that same route.

Assuming that the road conditions will be the same as yesterday is a great mistake! Always ensure that your truck gets serviced well before you begin your journey.

Make sure you get enough rest, take short naps when necessary. You don’t want to fall asleep at the wheel!

Many factors that can cause a truck accident are:

  • Distractions such as cell phones,
  • Over speeding,
  • Weather
  • Road condition
  • Traffic
  • Loose loads
  • Bad tire pressure
  1. Do Not Over-Speed

While speeding is not the only reason why dump trucks happen, it can cause them. It is essential to slow down around turns and corners.

The high center of gravity of your truck makes it susceptible to overturn due to speed and instability.

Keep in mind that speed limits in New Jersey and across the states are designed for light and passenger vehicles, not for cargo trucks. This means that you must reduce your speed up to well below that limit.

An extremely effective strategy that you can use to avoid a truck accident is preventing any erratic changes in your driving.

In Case Of an Emergency

When you get an accident while driving a truck in NJ, immediately notify emergency services. Include all the information you can about your location, the type of accident, and the description of the cargo if it is relevant for public safety.

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