Georgia Injury Law Blog
On April 21, a box truck crashed into an 18-wheeler, hitting the left corner of the trailer. Upon impact, the box truck immediately caught fire and was destroyed. According to police, the box truck was found to be following too closely, and when the 18-wheeler slowed, the box truck was unable to stop in time. The incident occurred on I-20 just west of Exit 172, northwest of Thomson, Georgia, and both lanes of I-20 were closed for almost two hours following the crash.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated event. In fact, according to The Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 5 percent of truck crashes occurred when the driver was following another vehicle too closely.
What constitutes following too closely? According to GA Code ยง 40-6-49 (2024), vehicles on the roadway “shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicles and the traffic upon and the condition of the highway.” This guidance assumes drivers will use judgement but does not define what constitutes “reasonable and prudent.” For more specific guidelines, The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration advises drivers to leave at least one second for every 10 feet of vehicle length when driving below 40 mph. This translates to about 4 seconds when driving behind a tractor trailer. To measure how many seconds are between you and the vehicle in front, find a stationary object such as a light pole and count off after the vehicle in front passes it, using “one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand.”
On interstates and highways where vehicles travel at higher speeds, drivers should leave an additional second. Drivers should also allow greater distance between vehicles during adverse weather such as rain, sleet, or snow, where precipitation can impact braking on wet or icy roads. It is also helpful to allow extra space at night or at times when visibility is low.
For drivers of noncommercial vehicles, it is especially important to allow sufficient space between your vehicle and a truck or tractor trailer. Should you rear-end a tractor trailer, it is likely to cause your vehicle to go underneath the back end, causing a particularly dangerous accident with the potential for fatalities or serious injuries.
If you are the victim of a tailgating accident as the car in front, you and your passengers are at risk of injuries such as whiplash or traumatic brain injury (TBI). Concussions may occur either from the head hitting the steering wheel or dashboard, or from a violent shaking of the brain inside the skull. That’s why it’s so important to seek immediate medical care if you were rear-ended by another vehicle, even if symptoms are not apparent right away.
Being involved in a truck accident can be devastating for the occupants of a motor vehicle or motorcycle involved in the crash. Statistics show that the occupants of a smaller vehicle may be at a higher risk of fatality or catastrophic injury in any truck accident, compared to the truck occupants. If you or a loved one have been injured in a truck accident, talk to an experienced Atlanta truck accident lawyer at the Katz Personal Injury Lawyers, and determine your legal rights to compensation. You may be eligible for damages that include medical costs, lost wages and other damages.