If you’ve lived in California for any duration, you’re probably familiar with our long dry spells followed by a sudden spurt of heavy rainstorms. While the rain can often be a welcome reprieve, especially for regions like Southern California, with its frequently parched landscape, lots of rain can translate into weather-related threats like mudslides and other unsafe conditions. San Bernardino experienced a mudslide as recently as February of this year along Highway 330, shutting the entire roadway down. Aside from these natural disasters, heavy precipitation also causes heightened road-related risks.
As the rainy season approaches, a frightening hazard Californians must be aware of is truck jackknife collisions. These accidents are not only pretty terrifying, but they can also often lead to serious injuries and, tragically, even to fatalities.
So why and how does rain increase the risk for truck jackknife accidents, and how can you protect yourself from the often dire consequences of these hazardous situations? Keep reading for everything you need to know about the risks, causes, and what to do if you have been involved in a truck accident during Cali’s rainy season.
What is a Jackknife Crash?
Before looking at how weather can impact these types of accidents, it’s vital to under what constitutes a jackknife. A jackknife accident happens when a semi’s trailer pivots outwards and folds over towards the truck’s front, its cab, creating an acute angle that resembles a pocket knife folding–hence the term “jackknifing.” Often, this unfortunate and accidental maneuver occurs in situations where the truck’s brakes suddenly lock up or when a driver loses control of the truck. In many cases, these accidents result in a menacing blockage across multiple lanes of traffic, posing a major hazard to the other drivers on the road. While truck drivers are trained to handle their rigs, speed, weather, and road conditions can contribute to more risks.
How Rain Increases the Risk of Jackknife Accidents
The rainy season in California brings unique challenges that make highways more dangerous, particularly for larger trucks. Several key factors can exacerbate the odds of a jackknife on California’s roads:
Reduced Traction and Slippery Roads: When rain hits California’s dry roads, the water mixes with the accumulated oil, grease, and dirt on the road surface, creating a slick, greasy film. The grease layer can cause tires to be slick and lose traction–fast! As you can imagine, this becomes even more dangerous for larger trucks. When truck tires fail to grip the road properly, the trailer can slide completely out of control, especially when trying to brake too fast or steer too sharply.
In these conditions, trucks are more likely to jackknife because of their large size and weight, which makes it harder to make those necessary smooth stops for safety. The odds get greater when truck drivers travel at speeds too high for wet conditions, or if their vehicles’ braking systems aren’t up to code or properly maintained.
Hydroplaning Risks: Hydroplaning in the rain is another common issue drivers can face. Hydroplaning is when tires lose contact with the road and skim across standing water. It can happen when a vehicle’s tires come into contact with water and cannot channel enough water away from the tread, leaving the vehicle to ride on a thin layer of water instead of the road’s surface.
For trucks, the effects of hydroplaning can be catastrophic.
Poor Visibility: Rain also significantly hinders visibility, making it more difficult for truck drivers to see the road, other vehicles, and roadway hazards. A critical problem quickly develops for drivers of bigger trucks with less visibility than the smaller vehicles sharing the road with them. In heavy rain, truckers may have difficulty distinguishing their truck from other cars, adding to the risk of collisions, especially rear-end wrecks and accidents due to abrupt lane changes. If the driver doesn’t notice another vehicle braking or swerving, it could initiate a chain reaction accident or pile-up, leading to a jackknife scenario.
When fog joins rain, which is not uncommon in California, driving challenges escalate. A driver’s inability to react swiftly to changes in weather and traffic can turn a rainy drive into a dangerous accident scene.
How to Prevent Truck Jackknife Accidents During the Rainy Season
While weather conditions cannot always be anticipated to the T or controlled, there are some steps that both truck drivers and regular drivers can take to try to prevent some of these rainy season-related accidents. For truck drivers, driving at reduced speeds can prevent tragedy. When rain begins belting down, it can be smart and preventive to reduce speeds preemptively to allow for greater stopping distance and better truck control. Maintaining a slower speed helps prevent the trailer from swerving out of control if a sudden stop is necessary. Maintaining proper tire pressure and tread depth is another key measure truck drivers can take before ever hitting the road during the rainy season. Regular inspections and maintenance of tires can be life-saving. Worn-out tires or improperly inflated ones can be catalysts for poor traction and control in wet conditions, even leading to a jackknife situation.
You should also practice keeping a safe driving distance from regular vehicles. Increasing the distance between your truck and other vehicles allows more time to react to sudden road changes or traffic flow. You should also always take driving breaks when driving long distances to avoid fatigue and driver’s hypnosis. Rainy weather can make for more mentally taxing trips, but throw in inadequate sleep or longer-than-ideal driving stretches, and things can get dicey and, sometimes, even fatal. Truck and regular drivers should ensure they are always well-rested to have the head space needed to keep focus on the road and traffic and react promptly to any hazard.
For other drivers, staying aware of road conditions is critical. If you’re trucking on a highway in a California rainstorm, it’s particularly crucial to your safety to be informed. Reduce your speed, maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, and avoid sudden braking or lane changes.
For drivers of regular cars to stay safe, you should remain aware of the emergency alerts and road conditions. If you’re heading down the highway in the rainy season, staying mindful of the road conditions, signs, and construction sites is important. Reduce your speed, keep a safe space from bigger vehicles, and avoid sudden braking or lane changing. Be hyper-vigilant about staying out of the truck’s blind spots. Furthermore, keep your eyes on the road and avoid distractions while driving. Distracted driving takes lives every day. Distractions like texting or fiddling with your phone to change a song or pull up a text can impair your ability to react to dangerous driving conditions. Lastly, ensure you use the appropriate lights and wipers for the conditions. Before hitting the road, ensure your headlights and windshield wipers are operating fine to maximize your visibility in the rain.
What to Do if You’re Involved in a Truck Accident During the Rainy Season
Accidents with trucks, especially jackknifed trucks, can be devastating. If you’re injured or involved in a multi-vehicle collision initiated by a truck accident, the first step is to see a medic. Ensure you have a comprehensive medical assessment and are treated for all injuries; from the ones you might consider minor to those more severe. Follow up with your physician, especially as other injuries, like whiplash, can show up in the days and weeks after an accident. The trip to the doctor and filing the police report are the first steps in documenting everything to prove liability and establish the need for compensation. Document everything if you are able, like taking photos and videos of your vehicle, the scene, and your injuries. If there are any accident witnesses, recording their information can be especially valuable for a claim or lawsuit. Contact a personal injury attorney immediately, but ensure they have expertise in truck accidents.
Trucking Accident Compensation: Why a Lawyer Levels The Playing Field
During the rainy season, it is crucial to stay vigilant and avoid driving in bad weather, especially on the more dangerous freeways and roadways in and around San Bernardino. However, sometimes life and commitments mandate traveling from point A to point B even when conditions are tough. By understanding the risks and causes behind these accidents and taking proactive steps to drive safely, truck drivers and motorists can reduce the odds of a rainy season disaster.
If you or someone you know has been involved in a truck accident, contact a trusted and experienced California truck accident attorney at Sanford A. Kassel Professional Law Corporation at 650 East Hospitality Lane, Suite 580, San Bernardino, California, at 909-884-6451. Schedule your complimentary and confidential initial consultation today.
These collisions often include complicated liability issues and intricate and enormous trucking company insurance claims, especially when multiple parties are involved in the accident. You could be facing the headache of underinsured or uninsured drivers, too, but it is consequential to note that you can still be compensated even in such situations. A seasoned California truck accident lawyer will help to identify the responsible parties and go after the compensation you deserve while ensuring you and your rights are protected. Negotiations are often part of the process, and an attorney will be highly skilled in the art of negotiation, even when negotiating with the largest insurance companies or facing their legal department.
