Staying safe on the road with semitrucks

In recent news, a semi truck crashed into a greyhound bus on an interstate, which left eight individuals dead. Semi trucks (also known as 18 wheelers, big rigs or tractor trailers) are notorious for causing fatalities in the event of a crash due to the size and weight of the vehicle, as well as that these crashes often occur at high speeds.

Many individuals do not realize that there are different driving techniques to employ when driving next to a semi truck. In order to avoid a deadly accident, it is beneficial to follow safe driving practices for sharing the road with semi trucks as well as educate yourself on the differences between a semi truck and a regular car.

Semi truck no-zones

When you are driving on the road with a semi, staying out of the no-zones can greatly help you avoid an accident. No-zones are the blind spots that semi trucks have, which are much larger than a regular car. Most cars have only two blind spots: one on the left and one on the right.

Large trucks have four, on all sides of the vehicle and they are much larger than a typical car’s. A good rule of thumb is that if you cannot see the driver of the truck, they will not be able to see you. Due to your possible invisibility, a truck may not see you if you cut them off or are attempting to merge into their lane. To avoid a tragic accident, give these vehicles wide berth and always be on the lookout for them.

Semi truck stop time

Large trucks like semis need a long time and a lot of space to come to a complete stop. Often, cars will forget to account for the extra time and space it takes for these trucks to come to a stop and end up rear-ended. If you are driving in front of a semi truck, it is wise to avoid hard braking.