Sharing the road with a commercial-sized truck is nothing new. Drivers across Atlanta do this just about every time we get on the highway. For the most part, this occurs without incident. However, these trucks can and do pose a threat to motorists because of their size, weight and the fact that they can be operated by negligent, reckless truckers.
In the event of a trucking accident, it is often the other motorists in smaller vehicles who suffer the brunt of the damage. People are paralyzed, burned, crushed and even killed when a truck hits them. In order to address this problem and alleviate other issues related to sharing the roads with trucks, Georgia officials are offering up a unique solution: separating the trucks from other vehicles.
According to reports, transportation officials are studying how feasible it would be to put in truck-only lanes on Interstate 75. The lanes would be in place between Interstate 475 and Georgia 155, making it the largest truck-only lane segment in the U.S.
The goal behind this proposal is to see if separating commercial vehicles from the general traffic will reduce the number of accidents on the road and to see if it will also alleviate traffic congestion.
The lanes would be separated by barriers, which could provide critical protection in the event that a trucker loses control of his vehicle. It would also prevent other cars from cutting off trucks and make it less likely for a trucker to have to come to a stop on the highway, which can require much more time and space than people expect.
While officials hope that getting trucks into their own lanes will reduce truck crashes and keep other drivers safe, it will likely be several years until we find out for sure. In the meantime, we urge readers to use caution when sharing the road with truckers and to contact an attorney in the event of an accident.
