At the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), we work diligently every day to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities involving large trucks and buses on our roadways.

Today, we’ve taken a significant step forward in our work to achieve this mission with the launch of a new public education campaign – Our Roads, Our Responsibility.

FMCSA aims to raise awareness among the general public about operating safely around and sharing the road with large trucks and buses. Understanding the safety challenges commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) face, along with some simple adjustments in driving behavior, can help drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians avoid dangerous situations and improve safety.

Large trucks and buses are more difficult to maneuver than average passenger vehicles due to blind spots, greater weights and lengths, and longer stopping distances. Our Roads, Our Responsibility uses consumer-friendly illustrations to highlight some of these safety challenges.

Did you know?

• Large trucks and buses have massive blind spots on all four sides. If you can’t see the driver in his or her side mirror, that driver can’t see you or your vehicle. Be aware of and avoid driving in a commercial motor vehicle’s blind spots.

• A fully-loaded large truck traveling under good conditions at highway speeds requires a distance of almost two football fields to stop. Because of the longer stopping distances of large trucks and buses, avoid merging directly in front of them.

• Because of its extended length, a large truck with a trailer cannot easily turn right from the right lane. It swings wide and first moves left to create enough turning space, or may even initiate a turn from a middle lane. Avoid passing a large truck when it’s turning. Always provide a large truck plenty of room and time to safely make a wide turn.

We encourage everyone to visit ShareTheRoadSafely.gov to learn more about how large trucks and buses operate differently than average passenger vehicles. The website contains a variety of resources, including safety tips for pedestrians, bicyclists, passenger vehicle drivers, and CMV drivers.

Roadway safety is a shared responsibility, and all of us must work together as champions for safety. These are the roads on which we transport our goods, travel to and from our jobs, take our vacations, and connect with our loved ones. They are indeed, Our Roads, Our Responsibility.