SafeTips
Driving: Sharing the Road with Large Trucks

The huge trucks on our highways are not equipped with the same type of energy-absorbing bumpers as cars. Their metal bumpers are high and rigid: two extra reasons to avoid a collision.

1. Don't cut in front of them. Because it takes them twice as long to stop, truck drivers try to leave extra room behind the car they're following. More than 60 percent of fatal truck crashes involve the front of the truck.
2. Watch out for the truck driver's blind spots (usually called the "No Zone"). Truck drivers have huge blind spots, and sometimes must react quickly to hazards in front of them by switching lanes.
3. If you drive too close to the back of a truck, you won't be able to react to changing traffic conditions. Keep extra distance.
4. Wear your seatbelt.
5. In an emergency, try to avoid pulling over onto the shoulder of a highway. If another car hits you, the damage can be severe. If a truck, which weighs as much as 25 cars, it can be catastrophic. If you have to change a tire, be sure you have reflectors or flares. If you can't get off the highway, you may be safer away from the vehicle if the terrain permits it.

Return to
SafeTips index | NSC Home