The act of driving is a careful balance between being safe for others and being defensive in case they are not obeying the rules. While this is true in most instances, sometimes there are times when you need to be more cautious of others than they need to be of you.
A good time where this is true is when you are driving around large trucks. Big trailers on the highway present a unique challenge because they take up so much space and present their own safety dilemmas. If you need some advice on how to safely drive around large trucks then read on.
Driving Around Large Trucks in Weather Conditions
The disadvantage of large trucks is their size. They are incredibly long and heavy, which makes breaking in weather conditions like sleet, hail, snow, or rain very difficult to do quickly. They can often slide or skid, which leads to accidents. These accidents can cause tremendous physical damage, which is why the lawyers of https://www.brookslawgroup.com/truck-accident-lawyer/, suggest caution when the weather is bad. Stopping abruptly in front of trucks, stopping abruptly behind trucks, or an unsafe merge can result in rear-ends, which with the size of transports, can potentially kill a motorist. Whenever weather is unsafe for your own driving, consider it equally as unsafe or worse for transport trucks and large vehicles. Taking into consideration how long it takes them to stop or merge can protect you from endangering yourself and others.
Passing Large Trucks
Passing vehicles are usually done on multi-lane roads or highways. When a vehicle is going slower, it should be on the farthest right-hand side. However, on single-lane highways, this poses a different challenge. Passing a vehicle by going into the oncoming lane should only be done on a long enough stretch where the entirety of the passing action is in plain view for any vehicles coming. This means not passing near bends, curves, or turns. Larger transport trucks have expanded side view mirrors to see behind their cargo, but passing a large truck on a highway should be done with extreme caution. It takes a longer time to pass them, and when merging, you should be well in front so they can see you entering their lane.
Driving in Blindspots
When driving next to most vehicles, there will be a blind spot where the side-view mirror cannot see them. This is still true of transport trucks and larger trucks, even with their expanded mirrors. There are multiple blind spots that they have which makes it trickier. Right behind the truck’s trailer because your vehicle would be hidden from any mirror and lack of a traditional rearview mirror prevents you from being seen, directly in front because of the height of the truck cab, and on the wings of the truck’s sides, near the side-view mirrors. These spots are harder for a large truck to see because of the trailer, and because of the elevated size. That is why merging is important, as mentioned in the previous section. Driving behind a truck, you should give them ample space between yourself and their trailer so they can see you.
Ensure Wiper Blades Are Working
As an aside to driving around transports in weather conditions, make sure your wiper blades are working well. Even if you drive properly around transports, it is important to know that they will be spraying water or snow, or even mud, backward. This means keeping a correct distance, but also ensuring that your visibility will not be impaired by their tires. Even large personal use trucks are susceptible to this issue because of the size of transport tires. Having the right wiper blades is an often ignored factor for driving safely near large trucks.
Be Patient Around Large Trucks
Large trucks take a longer time to perform normal driving motions, which means you need to have patience. Do not try to rush a merge, do not try to pass at any given point, be calm when around larger trucks. They take a longer time to stop as well, but you need to maintain a safe distance so they can be aware of their surroundings as well. Being a calm driver will prevent accidents regardless, but especially around transports and large vehicles.
When you are sharing the road with other motorists, you should be mindful of your driving as well as theirs. This is enhanced when driving around large trucks, like transports. They need more space and react slower to other motorists because of their size, which is why you should follow these tips for a safe and successful time sharing the road.
