From time to time, truckers need to get off the road, either to check for mechanical failure or to take a short break from the monotony of the long haul. When a truck stops on the shoulder, certain safety precautions must be remembered to reduce serious injury. In part, these precautions help reduce accidents known as under-vehicle accidents, which occur when the front end of a car slides below a truck’s underbody clearance. The collision in an under vehicle accident does not affect the bumper or the engine, but hits the windshield and less protected parts of the car frame.

To prevent or reduce the chance of an under-vehicle accident, truckers must take extra care if they need to pull off the road onto the shoulder. Especially on high-speed highways, the probability of a fatal under-vehicle accident is extremely high when a car collides with a parked truck. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has noted that when the difference between speeds in these collisions exceeds 20 miles per hour, most injuries are fatal.

The first step in preventing these accidents is to turn on your vehicle’s hazard lights and place hazard markers on the road. These unmistakable little triangles provide a reflective neon warning sign for any passing motorist and increase awareness. If possible, stopping under a streetlight or other light can also increase visibility and reduce the chance of an accident, especially at night.

One of the best ways to deal with a problem, whether it’s mechanical or fatigue, is to stop at a rest area. Although some situations do not allow for such luxuries, parking on the shoulder or on a ramp adds the possibility of not only being hit while parked, but also being struck by a motorist while trying to get back onto the road.