Inadequate Reflectors
Inadequate or insufficient reflectors can lead to a serious truck collision. Many auto to truck accidents in Florida occur at night, when a large tractor-trailer rig is pulling onto a road or backing into a driveway. If the tractor’s headlights are directed toward the oncoming auto, it can create a “wall of glare” that conceals the fact that the trailer behind it is stretched dangerously across the dark road ahead. Tractor-trailer big rigs are dramatically more noticeable when the reflective tape is properly used.
In the mid 1990s, the NHTSA and FHWA issued rules that required all new trailers built after 1993 to utilize reflective tape, and for all pre-1994 trailers to phase-in and retrofit trailers with reflective tape. If any large truck or trailer does not utilize reflective tape, it is unsafe and defective.
The improper use of reflectors is often the cause of accidents at night. Trailers that are not correctly equipped with reflector tape could be liable for many accidents that occur at night. If you have been injured in a truck accident in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach or anywhere else in Florida, contact the Shaked Law Firm for a free consultation with a Florida truck crash lawyer.