Trucks are large, hefty vehicles. A crash involving a truck is more likely to cause injury or death due to its size, weight and length. Trucks need much more room to stop and turn and have more blind spots than cars. Therefore, car drivers need to take additional care when sharing the road with trucks! Here are tips to follow when driving on the road with trucks.
Allow at least one car length when merging in front of a truck
It’s essential to allow significant space between your vehicle and the truck so that the driver has room to stop safely. This means allowing at least one car length (or more) when merging in front of a truck. If you need to pass the truck, give yourself plenty of distance before passing.
Remember, trucks are longer, wider and heavier than cars. They move slowly, take up more space on the road (sometimes more than one lane) and take much longer to stop.
Never cut in front of a truck and then slow down
Trucks are large vehicles and often weigh as much as 20 times what a passenger vehicle weighs. They also travel faster than other vehicles. Because of these differences, drivers must take extra precautions when driving near them.
Do not cut or merge in front of a truck and when driving behind a truck, leave enough room to make sure that the truck can stop safely.
When a bus or truck is coming up to a traffic light that’s about to change to red, don’t pull in front of it. Remember, a truck may not be able to slow down in time to avoid an accident.
Finally, drivers should only attempt to merge into the lane next to a truck if there is no other option.
Stay out of a truck’s blind spot and avoid driving alongside a truck for an extended time
Trucks have larger blind spots than an average vehicle. A truck driver may not be able to see your vehicle, so it’s important to consider this while you’re driving and take extra care when sharing the road with a truck or other heavy vehicles.
In addition to their regular blind spot, trucks have a large blind spot at the front of their rig. Therefore, a truck driver may only sometimes see pedestrians, bicycles or motorcycles in front of them. If you want to pass a truck, be wary of this and stay well away from the truck’s blind spots.
It’s also vital to avoid tailgating a truck because it also puts other drivers at risk. Tailgating means following too closely behind another vehicle. This can cause accidents because drivers often do not notice each other until it’s too late.
Give trucks room to manoeuvre, and don’t tailgate
Heavy vehicles like trucks may often take up two lanes or more when turning at intersections and roundabouts. You need to give them enough room and not put your car in the path of a truck when it is turning – stay behind and wait until the truck has completed the turn.
You should also allow extra room between you and the truck if you pass it on the right side. Avoid drafting the truck too closely. Drafting occurs when one vehicle follows another closely without leaving adequate space between them.
