Avoid These Trucking Bottlenecks on Georgia Roads
Driving on Georgia’s roadways requires a significant amount of awareness and skill, especially when it comes to sharing the highways with large commercial vehicles. Unfortunately, no amount of preparation and skill will guarantee that drivers won’t end up stuck in a truck bottleneck. Traffic slows to a crawl in these congested areas, posing a much higher risk for accidents involving large trucks. However, knowing the characteristics and most common locations for these kinds of bottlenecks can go a long way towards helping drivers avoid truck accidents.
Truck Bottlenecks Are Dangerous for Other Road Users
“Bottleneck” is a term that refers to localized traffic congestion in one area and free flowing traffic nearby. Any time there is a place on the roadway where traffic continuously slows or comes to a stop, but no traffic exists beyond that point, a driver has most likely encountered a bottleneck. Most are the result of limited road capacity, other accidents, or malfunctioning traffic signals. Any kind of vehicle can be stuck in a bottleneck, but those involving trucks are some of the most perilous for other road users because:
- Trucks require more time to come to a stop, so the frequent stop and go patterns in bottlenecks significantly increase the chances of a rear-end crash;
- Bottlenecks often involve merging and confusing interchanges, which are a lot more challenging for truck drivers to navigate due to the size and weight of their vehicles; and
- Delays can increase motorist frustration and aggressive driving, contributing further to the higher risk of collision.
All of these factors make it very dangerous for trucks to be stuck in one of Georgia’s bottlenecks.
Worst Bottlenecks in Georgia
The most dangerous bottlenecks for Georgia truck drivers are located at the following highway interchanges:
- The interchange at I-285 and I-85 North, known as Spaghetti Junction, which is made up of complex merging lanes and ramps that are hard for truck drivers to navigate;
- The interchange at I-75 and I-285 North, which sees a lot of truck traffic because of its proximity to distribution centers;
- The interchange at I-20 and I-285 West, which is located in Atlanta and is congested during peak travel times; and
- The interchange at I-75 and I-16, which is also notorious for being one of Atlanta’s most congested interchanges for trucks traveling to and from Savannah.
It’s not always possible to avoid these routes when traveling. Fortunately, there are some other ways that road users can avoid being involved in an accident because of a trucking bottleneck.
Tips for Navigating Trucking Bottlenecks
When avoiding a dangerous interchange isn’t possible, drivers can still employ the following safety tips to reduce their chances of being involved in a truck accident:
- Maintaining a safe following distance from commercial vehicles;
- Avoiding sudden lane changes, which can catch truck drivers off guard;
- Staying alert and calm; and
- Considering alternative routes with less congestion.
Unfortunately, even those who drive safely could end up involved in an accident because of someone else’s negligence, in which case, they may need to seek compensation directly from the at-fault trucking company.
Call Today for Legal Representation
To speak with an experienced Atlanta truck accident lawyer about your recovery options following a collision for which you were not at fault, please call Shiver Hamilton Campbell at 404-593-0020 today.
Sources:
wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/youre-not-imagining-it-atlanta-has-some-worst-bottlenecks-roads-us/C3LQOJAQZJAXBE6YQQRFZEMSYU/
fox5atlanta.com/news/atlanta-traffic-bottlenecks-study-interstate-spaghetti-junction
