Accident on Highway 1 Occurs Between Cement Truck and Motor Vehicle
A motor vehicle collision with a cement truck in El Granada sent three people to the hospital on March 14. The accident occurred along Highway 1 close to Half Moon Bay near Sam’s Chowder House at around 2:31 p.m., according to a tweet by the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The vehicle involved in the crash was identified as a Ford Flex, and its elderly female driver was taken by air ambulance to a Stanford hospital as well as a juvenile in the vehicle who suffered major injuries.
State Route 1 Closed Due to Major Cement Truck Accident
The male driver of the truck was taken to San Francisco General Hospital with undescribed injuries. State Route 1 was closed in both directions as the accident scene was cleared. The CHP is conducting an accident investigation to determine how the crash occurred.
Do Accidents Involving Cement Trucks Happen Often?
Most people don’t realize how common accidents involving these heavy trucks are. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that in 2017, cement-hauling trucks, as well as dump trucks, caused the third-largest number of severe injuries in traffic collisions.
What Types of Cement Truck Accidents Are the Most Common?
The most common types of truck accidents involving these vehicles are collisions or rollovers. Most motorists are unaware that a truck carrying cement in motion can flip over and they often don’t have time to get out of the way of an accident. These trucks turn very slowly and require a lot of room to do so.
What Are the Major Reasons for a Truck Accident When It’s Transporting Cement?
A cement truck may cause a collision for a number of reasons. Some of them are:
- Distracted driving: Among truck operators, distracted driving is becoming a risk due to their lack of focus, according to the American Contractors Insurance Group.
- Drivers without training or experience are not equipped to handle a heavy, cumbersome vehicle, especially when it’s transporting a turning drum full of wet cement. The keys to avoiding accidents are knowing how to turn safely without rolling over, how to react when moving loads shift and alter the center of gravity and staying alert to other drivers. In addition, they need to beware of their blind spots.
- Heavy traffic on roads: Truck drivers transporting cement, unlike long-haul truckers, travel on lesser roads whenever possible, especially in construction areas since they move slowly and are difficult to control.
- Speeding: Drivers may be tempted to speed to make a delivery faster due to the short window of time before the cement inside hardens. The low pay scale and a need to rack up more hauls in a day make the temptation to take shortcuts always present since drivers are paid by the load or haul. The cement inside hardens in about 90 minutes, so if the driver does not arrive at a destination on time, the barrel may have to be chiseled, hammered, or even pounded to remove the hardened cement. The driver may be unable to make another run because of this.
- Shifting loads: Occasionally, the driver of a cement truck tries to make an emergency maneuver to avoid a collision with a passenger vehicle. However, these cumbersome, heavy vehicles do not respond well and can often end up colliding with the vehicle anyway. In some instances, suddenly jerking the wheel of one of these trucks can cause a rollover due to the load shifting.
Sacramento Truck Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento truck accident lawyer. Accidents involving large commercial vehicles can cause severe injuries. Our injury lawyers can offer you free and friendly advice on whether you can file a claim to recover compensation. Call us at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 to have your case reviewed and discover what options are open for you to claim damages. You can also reach us online.
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Photo attribution: Image by F. Muhammad from Pixabay
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