In the city of San Luis Obispo, tailgating may be a cause of truck accidents. Tailgating is a driving maneuver that involves following the vehicle in front of you too closely. When following too closely, it is difficult to stop in time to avoid an accident should the front vehicle suddenly have its brakes applied. An accident caused by tailgating is particularly dangerous to backseat passengers and in congested traffic in which the car that has been struck can be pushed into the cars ahead.
The general rule of thumb for most drivers is to stay far enough behind the vehicle in front of ou that you can see its back tires making contact with the roadway. Another idea is to stay at least three seconds behind the vehicle in front of you. You can do this by using a marker like a light pole. Begin counting when the car ahead of you passes the pole and continue counting until you pass the pole. If you didn’t reach at least a count of three, there is not enough distance. Truck drivers are urged to keep even more distance between them and the vehicles ahead of them due to their decreased ability to stop quickly.
When a truck accident is caused by tailgating, the injured driver may be able to seek compensation from the driver of the truck. A personal injury attorney experienced in accident law can help a victim determine if they have the potential for a successful case.
