With many of us already planning our summer road trips, we have to contemplate how we’re going to keep ourselves and our family safe on the roads. And for many drivers, the idea of manoeuvring around large semi-trucks safely is incredibly daunting. How many accidents on I-10 involve semi-trucks? Click the link to find out the answer.
Indeed, semi-truck drivers work hard to ensure that they’re driving diligently, they go through rigorous training and many are veterans of the road, however, that doesn’t mean that accidents never happen. And as a car driver, you must take some necessary steps and precautions to ensure you avoid a crash.
If you are in a crash involving a truck, then you should consider reaching out to a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
Read on for some simple tips to help you drive safely around semi-trucks:
Always keep a safe distance
You might be in a rush to get to your destination, and you might be getting frustrated at being stuck behind a truck that is moving considerably slower than you. It’s tempting to tailgate, but it’s a futile exercise. The truck driver won’t even know that you’re there. This also makes it a dangerous act of aggressive driving, if the truck driver needs to suddenly brake then you’ll go straight into the back of them at high speed. It simply doesn’t bear thinking about.
Always use your signals
Switching from lane to lane, whether in front of a truck or moving away from it requires you to use your signal lights. Truck drivers aren’t mind-readers – letting them know what you’re intending to do will help keep you and other road users safe. You should also aim to turn on your signals at least 3 seconds before you complete your manoeuvre, this gives the truck driver plenty of time to react.
Don’t drive in their blind spots!
If a truck driver can’t see you, then how can they possibly avoid you? They don’t have a rear-view mirror and their ability to see the entire length of the truck behind them is impaired. Trucks, do have additional mirrors, however, there are still considerable blind spots that car drivers should be aware of. Make yourself familiar with the blind spots on a truck and keep yourself out of them.
Give them room!
If a truck needs to turn right at a junction, and you pull up beside them, then you run the risk of being hit by the rest of the truck as it follows the front cab. If a truck is straddling two lanes, they’re doing so to warn other drivers (along with their signals) that they’re going to need room to manoeuvre safely. Always give them enough room to do so.
