For the average passenger car, it takes around one football field to come to a stop. This is about 300 feet. That assumes that the driver is paying attention and hits the brakes immediately, and it also assumes that the brakes are in good working order.
But for a semi-truck, the stopping distance is around 525 feet. This is not quite twice as long, but it is a significant increase. The reason for this is largely that semi-trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, so they are much heavier than passenger cars and it takes more distance to bring that type of mass to a halt.
How could this cause an accident?
This can lead to rear-end accidents in many cases. A semi-truck driver needs a greater distance to stop, so it can become impossible for them to stop in time, especially if they have made a mistake or a driving error.
For example, say that a semi-truck driver is on the interstate when they get a notification from their phone. They know that they are not supposed to use handheld devices behind the wheel, but they look down to check the notification anyway.
When they look back up, traffic has stopped ahead of them at a construction zone, roughly 300 feet in front. If they were in a passenger car, they could slam on the brakes and stop in time. But because they are in a semi-truck, they do not have enough space to stop the vehicle. The driver’s distraction with their cellphone has now caused an accident that they cannot avoid.
Seeking compensation
Have you been injured in a semi-truck accident? Multiple parties may be liable, and it is important to look into all of your options to seek financial compensation.