San Francisco is notorious for its winding roads, narrow lanes, and steep inclines. While this iconic topography lends itself beautifully to postcard views, it also creates hazardous conditions for operating large trucks. Truck drivers must navigate tight turns, abrupt elevation changes, and crowded streets full of bikes, cars, and pedestrians. In this article, we’re going to look at the various reasons why truck accidents occur in San Francisco.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in San Francisco
When you combine San Francisco’s challenging infrastructure with enormous, multi-ton vehicles, accidents become inevitable. In 2016, a double-decker tour bus collided with a tractor-trailer on the Golden Gate Bridge, injuring 20 people. Faulty truck brakes may have caused the accident. This is just one of many accidents involving trucks that have occurred over the years.
Here are the most common reasons why trucks crash – and why you may need to contact a truck accident lawyer.
Blind Spots and Wide Turns
Large trucks have expansive blind spots around the front, back, and sides. With so many hard-to-see areas, truck drivers can easily miss seeing smaller vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians when making wide turns. Attempting difficult turns on narrow San Francisco streets further increases the odds of truckers accidentally hitting someone or something in their blind spots.
Steep Streets and Runaway Trucks
San Francisco is dotted with steep slopes, and trucks barreling down these grades can quickly build momentum. Excess speed decreases response time and control over these heavyweight vehicles. Brake failure is also more likely on steep declines as overheated brakes lose stopping power. Runaway trucks with failing brakes often collide with occupants, buildings, and stationary vehicles working to avoid higher-speed impacts by veering off the road.
Congested Roadways
Rush hour congestion is intense on San Francisco’s jam-packed roads. Busy commuting times coupled with ongoing construction and maintenance projects lead to unexpected stops, lane shifts, and slowdowns. Truck drivers tend to follow closer than regular automobiles due to their extended stopping distance. With tricky navigational conditions already in play, abrupt traffic changes increase rear-end collisions and sideswipes between trucks and commuter vehicles.
Dangerous Weather Events
Inclement weather like dense fog, slick rain, and wind gusts are harsh realities San Francisco motorists face. Wet roads diminish braking reliability, lessen tire grip, and delay response times for adjusting course or speed. Objects in the roadway are harder to identify in low visibility. Gusty winds can literally blow massive semi-trucks or their unsecured loads into adjacent lanes. Any and all treacherous weather makes operating trucks substantially more hazardous.
Driver Fatigue
Piloting trucks is physically and mentally draining work. Truckers traversing in and out of urban centers like San Francisco endure more stop-and-go traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, and concentrated road hazards than long-haul routes. Increased obstacles precipitate heightened driver workload and fatigue. Drowsy truckers dealing with inadequate rest breaks and unrealistic delivery deadlines have delayed reaction times, compromised decision-making, and an elevated accident risk – especially in challenging environments like San Francisco.
Stress and Demanding Delivery Requirements
In addition to fatiguing working conditions, many truck drivers face immense pressure from dispatchers and logistic companies to meet strict delivery windows under threat of financial penalty or job loss. This can motivate truckers to cut corners on safety and push physical limits to unhealthy degrees trying to satisfy demanding drop-off timelines. Operating under duress degrades focus and multiplies the likelihood of traffic collisions.
Insufficient Truck Maintenance
Proactively monitoring and routinely servicing complex truck components is essential for accident prevention. Yet exhaustive maintenance schedules become challenging for frequently dispatched vehicles with no downtime. Neglected issues like faulty brakes, bald tires, broken mirrors, loose loads, and leaking fluids sabotage vehicle integrity and boost preventable crash statistics.
Dangerous Driving Behaviors
Risky driving habits like speeding, distracted driving, impairment, and aggression contribute immensely to truck collision rates. Exceeding safe speeds for navigating San Francisco’s treacherous terrain sharply reduces reaction times and control over these less maneuverable vehicles. Distracted truckers take their eyes and attention away from surrounding hazards. Impaired drivers suffering effects of intoxication, sleep deprivation, illness, or emotional distress have compromised faculties for operating safely. Aggressive behaviors like tailgating, unsafe lane changes, and angrily engaging with “road rage” over minor disputes needlessly endanger all motorists.
How to Stay Safe Around Trucks in San Francisco
- Give trucks extra room, at least 3-4 car lengths, and avoid driving in blind spots around the front, back, and sides where trucks have limited visibility to see you.
- Allow plenty of extra space, 50 feet or more if possible, for trucks making wide turns around corners or intersections since their turn radius is much wider.
- Be hyper-vigilant and drive at least 4-5 seconds behind trucks on steep downhill San Francisco roads prone to brake failure and runaway trucks barreling out of control.
- Brace for unexpected truck maneuvers like sudden lane changes or stops by allowing a 5-6 second following distance in congested traffic where trucks have delayed response times.
- Exercise extreme caution by allowing extra stopping room when driving near trucks in hazardous San Francisco weather like dense fog reducing visibility or slick roads reducing tire grip.
- Assume truck drivers haven’t seen your vehicle at all times and make direct eye contact before crossing paths or merging in front of them due to extensive blind spots.
- Never cut trucks off without safe room or linger driving alongside them in windy conditions where gusts could blow trucks into adjacent lanes.
- Carefully pay attention to truck turn signals, allow them an extra wide berth when turning, and proactively give trucks ample space to slowly navigate San Francisco’s winding roads.
If you or a loved one gets injured by a truck accident in San Francisco, contact an experienced personal injury accident attorney immediately. If you work with one of the motor vehicle accident lawyers at Karns & Karns Truck Accident Attorneys, know that we will fight to recover the maximum compensation you deserve while you focus on healing and getting your life back on track. Call today for a free consultation. We have offices in California, Texas & Nevada.
