Northlake, IL Personal Injury Attorneys Represent Clients Injured in Truck Accidents
Illinois Truck Accident Law Firm Understands the Dangers Presented by Blind Spots
Truck accidents due to blind spots occur frequently throughout Illinois. Eighteen-wheelers have four major blind spots:
- Directly in front of the truck’s cab, extending about 20 feet forward
- Slightly below and behind the driver’s side window
- The entire right side of the cab, extending diagonally backward
- Immediately behind the trailer of the truck going back about 30 feet
These areas are called blind spots (or no-zones) for a very good reason: it is virtually impossible for truck drivers to see anything in these areas, including other vehicles.
Why Commercial Trucks Have Blind Spots
All vehicles have blind spots, but passenger vehicle operators can more easily turn their heads to check out their side windows or check their rearview mirrors. Some reasons trucks have larger blind spots than cars include:
- Semi-trailer trucks are between 70 and 80 feet long, and trucks with multiple trailers can be more than 100 feet long, with large areas of limited visibility.
- Commercial trucks are much taller than passenger cars, and truckers can have a hard time seeing low-riding vehicles immediately in front of or beside them.
- Eighteen-wheelers are not equipped with rearview mirrors to check blind spots.
Although truckers have a duty to check these blind spots before turning, changing lanes, or engaging the brakes, they aren’t always able to see what is actually there, particularly when traveling at highway speeds.
Contact a Northlake, IL Personal Injury Lawyer
Were you involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler truck that resulted in severe injuries? Contact the Northlake, IL attorneys at Kelly Law Offices, LLC online or call 1-800-859-8800 and schedule your free initial consultation today.
