How to Avoid Big Rig and Tractor-Trailer Blind Spots
Every single day, drivers share the roads with tractor-trailers. Throughout the United States, around three million commercial trucks ride the highways and byways carrying billions of tons of freight on an annual basis. Unfortunately, big rigs like these are also the cause of many accidents across the country.
One of the biggest reasons that accidents involving tractor-trailers in Arizona even occur is because truck drivers have more blind spots than drivers of smaller vehicles. In certain situations, a truck driver will lose sight of other cars beside and behind them. Although conventional vehicles also have blind spots, they don’t come anywhere close to those on a huge truck.
It’s important for drivers to know how to stay safe on the road when they have to share it with tractor-trailers. Protect yourself and others on the road with these tips.
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Locate the Blind Spots on a Big Rig
Generally speaking, there is a blind spot directly behind the truck within the lane in which the truck is traveling. Another blot occurs directly in front of the truck, in the lane to the vehicle’s right, and on either side of the truck. This is true of most commercial tractor-trailers you find on Arizona highways.
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Leave Plenty of Room
Drivers must always leave plenty of room when sharing the road with a semi-truck, especially when changing lanes. The hood of a tractor-trailer can hide a portion of the way ahead, which means the driver may not always see a car pulling in front of it if they don’t create space for themselves. As long as the driver can see the full front of the truck, it should be safe to switch lanes ahead of it.
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Avoid Following Too Closely
Likewise, it’s critical for drivers to avoid following too closely behind a big rig, also known as tailgating. The driver of the truck won’t be able to see the vehicle. Should the truck stop suddenly, you risk prompting a rear-end truck accident.
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Adhere to Best Safety Practices When Passing a Truck
Car drivers must pass big rigs carefully, signal early, and pass quickly. In a situation where it’s impossible to move fast, the car should lag behind the truck for an extended period of time so that the truck driver can see who is behind him.
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Avoid Passing From the Right
Drivers should never pass tractor-trailers from the right lane. Truckers have a lesser scope of vision from the right side.
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Give Yourself Enough Time to Get to Your Destination
Always be patient when traveling behind a tractor-trailer in Arizona. It’s not always the ideal situation, and you may have somewhere to be, but safety is the most important thing on the roadways. Your actions affect the people in the cars around you as well.
Truck accidents occur for a variety of reasons. In many cases, truck drivers negligently fail to take proper rest periods and abide by other rules that help them drive safely. If you were injured in a truck-on-car accident in Tucson, our attorneys will dig into your case to determine whether you are legally entitled to compensation and how much compensation you deserve. We have over 25 years of experience standing up for drivers hurt in car accidents throughout Arizona. Contact us for a free consultation.