There are thousands of semi trucks on America’s roadways every day. If you are the driver of a regular passenger vehicle, understanding the difference between how semi trucks operate and how regular cars operate is vital for your safety.
Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to ensure that you are driving safely around semi trucks. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, staying out of a semi truck’s blind spots is essential to safety.
Where are a semi truck’s blind spots?
Semi trucks have blind spots in the exact same areas where regular passenger vehicles have them. That is, there are blind spots in front, behind and on either side of a semi truck. However, the blind spots on a semi truck are much larger.
The blind spot behind a semi truck can extend for up to 30 feet. The blind spot in front of a semi truck extends for 20 feet. The blind spot on the left side of a truck is one lane, whereas the blind spot on the right side of the truck is two lanes.
How can this help me drive safer?
First, since the blind spot on the right side of a semi truck is much larger than the blind spot on the left side of a semi truck, this means that you should always pass a semi truck on the left side.
Additionally, you want to give a semi truck as much room as possible when you are passing it. Remember to give a semi truck plenty of room when you are merging in front of it, since semi trucks need much more space to come to a complete stop as compared to a regular passenger vehicle.
