Trucking Organization Offers Labor Day Safety Tips | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

The weather for the 2011 Labor Day weekend will be less hazardous than the previous weekend when Hurricane Irene swept in, but the roads will be much more dangerous.

With those dangers in mind, American Trucking Associations issued a number of travel tips for Labor Day, saying that despite the high fuel costs, more than 34 million drivers are expected to hits the roads. Here are the tips:

  • Prepare your vehicle for long-distance travel: Check the wipers and fluid levels and get your and radiator and cooling system serviced.
  • Plan ahead: Know exits by name and number and watch road signs to avoid having to make sudden lane changes and setting the satage for accidents.
  • Do not cut in front of large trucks: Respect the reality that trucks are heavier, take longer to stop and cause more damage when an accident occurs.
  • Use a map or GPS: Know your route so you can anticipate lane changes.
  • Leave early and avoid risks: Leaving late can lead to fatigue, a major cause of accidents.
  • Be aware of truck drivers’ blind spots: Trucker drivers cannot see your vehicle if you cannot see the drivers’ reflections in their rearview mirrors.

See this safety tips video: 

As experienced Virginia (VA) truck accident injury attorneys we often see the devastating effects of accidents involving trucks. Just last month a 70-year-old woman from Portsmouth, VA, was killed in a collision with a concrete truck in North Carolina (NC).

We have also reported on how fatal accidents tend to spike over the holidays when more drivers take to the roads. The number of road deaths doubled in Virginiaover the July 4, 2010 holidaycompared to a year earlier.

Virginia State Police said patrols will be stepped up this Labor Day weekend. In 2010 Virginia experienced a large number of traffic deaths during the Labor Day weekend when 13 people were killed over four days. In 2009, the same number of people were killed on the roads of Virginia. Police say alcohol is often a factor in crashes over the holidays.

“It’s this simple. Don’t drink and drive. We have a zero tolerance for impaired drivers,” said Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent. In 2010, Virginia State Police arrested 132 drunk drivers during the four-day Labor Day weekend. State troopers also cited 8,836 speeders and 2,420 reckless drivers.

Our attorneys have handled numerous cases of injuries caused by trucks. See this FAQ about time limitations for filing a claim after a trucking accident.

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