A high percentage of traffic crashes and deaths involve big rig trucks. A large big rig truck is any truck whose vehicle weight is over 10,000 pounds. Because of their size, crashes involving big rig trucks are more likely to result in serious injury and death than are car crashes. Approximately 10% of all those injured in a big rig truck crash will die. Bigrig trucks are more likely to be involved in multiple-vehicle crashes than are passenger cars. Both Federal and state regulations govern trucking and cover areas such as safety of equipment and hours of the drivers. Trucking companies are required to keep records of such information and it will be necessary to find and research such records. Poor equipment and driver fatigue can be causes of such crashes, and a careful study of the trucking company records may be needed to determine if negligence has occurred.

• Never change lanes abruptly around a bigrig truck
• Slow down to let bigrig trucks have the right of way
• Drive at a safe speed
• Stay alert to traffic signals and road conditions
• Use turn signals
• Avoid driving alongside or immediately behind a bigrig truck
• Never cut in front of a bigrig truck, especially when it may need to stop

Because motorist safety is so important to prevent these types of serious bigrig injury accidents, The American Trucking Association has developed some "Share The Road" guidelines for motorists to follow.

The American Trucking Association's Share The Road Guidelines for Motorists:
 

• Never cut in front of a bigrig truck - Fully loaded bigrig trucks weigh up to 80,000 pounds and take the length of a football field to stop. Most cars weigh only 3,000 pounds.
• Don't linger alongside a bigrig truck - There are large blind spots around bigrig trucks where cars momentarily "disappear" from view and the driver can't see you.
• Pass big rig trucks quickly - To make themselves visible cars should not linger near bigrig trucks, and should move past them or slow to back off out of the blind spot.
• Changing lanes - Change lanes when you can see both of the bigrig truck's headlights in your rearview mirror.
• If possible, pass a bigrig truck on the left, not on the right - A bigrig truck's blind spot on the right runs the length of the trailer and extends out 3 lanes. Motorists should try to avoid passing through this large blind spot.
• Keep a safety cushion around bigrig trucks - Try to leave 10 car length safety cushion in front of a bigrig truck and stay back 20-25 car lengths. Following a bigrig truck too closely obscures your view.
• Check the bigrig truck's mirrors - If you're following a bigrig truck and you can't see the driver's face in the bigrig truck's side mirrors, the bigrig truck driver can't see you.
• Allow bigrig trucks adequate space to maneuver - Bigrig trucks make wide turns at intersections and require additional lanes to turn, so motorists should allow a truck the space it needs to maneuver.