Florida State Troopers Use Big Rig As Public Safety Tool | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

The Florida Highway Patrol’s latest vehicle, an 18 wheeler, is not the most inconspicuous on the highway. But the 40 foot long 18 wheeler is playing an important role in keeping Florida roads safer.

The tractor trailer will be used to teach motorists about how dangerous it can be to engage in aggressive driving and distracted driving with a big rig on the freeway.

The truck is being used as part of the Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks or TACT safety campaign. This new campaign for public safety is designed to cut down on the number of serious crashes between big rigs and cars.

We handle many truck/car accident personal injury cases in Virginia every year, and it is clear to us that many of them could be avoided. Whether it is aggressive or distracted driving, many car and truck crashes occur due to human error. Sometimes it is the car driver’s fault, and sometimes it is the truck driver’s fault, such as this case we settled for $3.5 million. The fact is that distracted and aggressive driving is actually more dangerous than driving drunk.

It is very important to remember to drive safely around trucks – never go over the speed limit, but get around them safely when you can. Also, do not tail gate a truck – ever. Further, you should not ever cut off a truck. Give the big rig plenty of room when you pass.

We applaud this new public safety effort in FL, and hope that local governments will continue to impress upon both car and truck drivers the great importance of driving safely on the freeways around the US.