In the state of Washington, there is plenty of trucking traffic to warrant being extra careful on the highway. Having the weather kick in to make it even harder to drive defensively can be a problem. Drought conditions across the state and the wildfire that can devastate the roadways and the ability to go where you need to go can hinder safe travel as well.
It seems that the worse the weather gets in this drought-ridden season, the worse the driving gets when you pass a tractor-trailer truck. Brush fires may pop up that cross the roadway and cause them to stop on a dime with you unable to see why they are throwing on brakes and coming to a complete stop when the minimum speed limit is 50 miles per hour.
In traffic snarls caused by fires along the highway, truckers often don’t know how to react or what is safe. Summer seems to be the worst time for this type of problem to happen.
Of course, planning ahead is also important. Encouraging everyone to mow early and thus avoid these fires is a good idea and many local areas do this. Sometimes, no matter how much planning you do and how carefully you drive, a trucking accident just can’t be avoided.
Because of truck drivers’ distracted driving you are injured. Because they are trying to pay more attention to the brush fire on the side of the road than about keeping their trucks safely on the road, your car is demolished.
Having the fire controlled is really up to the state of Washington and the local government in charge of the roadways. Our job is to pay close attention to the traffic and ensure that we do everything in our power to avoid being hit by a semi-truck or other vehicle.
Knowing what to do in a situation is vital. Having a good attorney on hand who can help you get recompensed for your losses is also important.
Source: Washington State Department of Transportation, “Working to prevent roadside brush fires,” Barbara LaBoe, July 01, 2015
