You might have seen this sign on the back of a large construction vehicle. It says “Do Not Follow – Construction Vehicle.” Some people think that this meant that people shouldn’t follow the vehicle to ask them to do work at residences. What this more than likely really means is that this vehicle is authorized to go to and fro from construction sites, which can be hazardous and dangerous, and they don’t want cars or trucks from the public following them into restricted areas. The vehicles are moving slow due to their heavy payloads and the drivers often have limited visibility.
Typically, construction vehicles are insured under contract with contractors for work on job sites. They know what to do if these large equipment loaders break down or lose a tire to a hole in the road. Those job site roads are usually in a state of disrepair, and the construction vehicles are more equipped than a car to navigate around on them. The potholes that would wreck havoc on a suspension system of the average car, or even standard sized truck, will do not damage to a large scale dump truck or backhoe used to working at the job site.
Also, there are special rules at the job sites. Although there are signs as to where the certain vehicles can and can’t go, the average person may not understand the safety issues, risks or hazards at a job site. They can be extremely dangerous, and the average person driving into that area may not appreciate the dangers. That is why they are always labeled to “keep out” and this should be observed without question.
When you are driving behind a large truck or construction vehicle, you need to be wary that they may make turns off the main road onto unmarked roads, or slow down to work at construction sites. If you are traveling very closely behind this vehicle, you may have trouble braking in time, and may be the cause of an accident.
Consider this: those large trucks may weigh upwards of 10,000 pounds. In fact, the definition of a large truck is one that has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of over 10,000 pounds. That is a lot of weight to hit up against if you are tailgating it on a congested highway or road. Similarly, it is a lot of weight if it is traveling behind you and you are in the habit of turning out of or into lanes without using your signal indicators.
Many of the accidents with these large commercial trucks do not occur within the bounds of the construction site. That means, the bulk of these accidents occur while the trucks are on city streets or rural roads. Another interesting bit of news is that most of these accidents with large trucks occur on sunny days, on bone dry roadways, during daylight hours and on the weekdays when people are normally out and about.
It is important to understand that cars and trucks share the road with other large trucks and construction vehicles. If everyone is aware of the rules of the road, everyone will have a safer experience on the road every day. If you are in an accident with a large construction vehicle, you will want to talk to an expert. Call the law offices of Ledger & Associates at 1-800-300-0001 or email us at www.ledgerlaw.com.
