Tailgating Truck Accident

Following too closely when driving is dangerous driving behavior under any circumstances. It could lead to a rear-end collision if the driver ahead must brake suddenly. Tailgating by a driver of a large commercial truck is particularly dangerous, due to the sheer size and weight of the vehicle. When an 18-wheeler, weighing 80,000 pounds or more, slams into the rear of a 4,000 pound passenger vehicle, it can cause catastrophic or fatal injuries to the occupants of the smaller car.

Call the Dallas tailgating truck accident lawyers at The Lenahan Law Firm at (214) 295-1008 today if you have been seriously injured in a truck collision.

Semi tractor-trailers are 20 to 30 times heavier than passenger vehicles and require more time and distance to stop. When a large commercial truck is hauling a heavy load, it accelerates more quickly going downhill and takes longer to come to a stop. As stated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA):

When a semi tractor-trailer is traveling below 40 mph, the driver should allow at least one second between the truck and the car ahead for every 10 feet of vehicle length. This amounts to four seconds for the typical tractor-trailer. For speeds greater than 40 mph, the driver should allow an additional second.

For a loaded tractor-trailer traveling at 55 mph in ideal conditions, the average stopping distance is 196 feet. For the average passenger vehicle, that distance is 133 feet.