Trucks are not the primary mode of transportation in St. Louis and University City.
It is helpful to be aware of your other options for traversing the city.
Preferred methods of getting around include the MetroLink, MetroBus, rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft, bikes, taxis, or personal vehicles.
Many of these options are affordable and available throughout each day.
However, U City and surrounding neighborhoods have a number of retail services, industrial area, and high traffic-volume roadways that attract large trucks to the area. Because of the high frequency of trucks, trucking accident in University City Missouri are not uncommon. If you or a loved one is involved in a trucking accident, you should contact a University City truck accident lawyer to see if you qualify for legal action.
What Makes Trucks Less Safe Than Cars?
Vehicles larger than cars pose unique hazards on the roads. In fact, truck accidents tend to have larger consequences than regular car accidents. Here are some reasons that trucks are less safe than cars:
Their weight
Trucks can weigh ten times as much as a standard vehicle. This means it takes longer for them to increase their speed and longer for them to stop. Surrounding vehicles have to adjust their speed to suit the truck, which many fail to do.
Their size
Trucks, even the smaller ones such as pickup trucks, create visual blockades. The truck drivers thus have relatively poor visibility, and trying to see past a truck for nearby drivers is difficult. Overall, the bigger the vehicle, the harder it is to see the environment.
They malfunction
It is not uncommon for parts of a truck to malfunction or even explode. This happens with tires, with the engine, and even with loads falling off while driving. There are so many high-intensity parts to a truck that something going wrong almost always results in disaster.
The drivers get tired
Truck drivers often drive for hours at a time. Fatigue and highway hypnosis are just two of the effects of driving such long hours. Being sleep-deprived while driving can be as dangerous as driving under the influence. Note that it is always recommended to take a nap if you are exceedingly tired trying to drive.
