Merging onto the interstate can raise accident risks

Interstate highways are often praised for the way they reduce accident risks. There are few points of entry and traffic is always moving in the same direction.

There’s one key point where the risk can rise, though: on-ramps. When other traffic is allowed onto the road, or when two interstates merge, accidents can be the result.

A dash cam video caught a semi accident that is a perfect example of the risk. In the video, a semi gets onto a highway with two lanes going in the same direction. It is driving next to a black sedan. The video is shot from inside the semi.

The highway mergers into a larger highway system. To do so, the two lanes first merge into one, and then that merges onto the new road.

The semi driver sees it coming and gets over. The driver of the sedan does not. He stays in the right lane, which suddenly begins to disappear right as he goes into the truck’s blind spot. The sedan driver frantically tries to merge in front of the semi, but there’s not enough space.

The sedan hits the front end of the semi and spins completely sideways. It skids down the road, being pushed by the far heavier truck. Then it spins off the far side, into traffic, and out of sight.

Trucks can be very dangerous for other drivers with their size, long stopping distances and blind spots. Accidents like this can be devastating for people in small family cars. Those who suffer serious injuries must know what legal options they have to seek financial compensation.

Source: Live Trucking, “Car And Truck Battle For A Single Lane. This Was The Result.,” accessed Aug. 12, 2017