As a resident of Covington, you have probably found yourself driving too close for comfort around large commercial trucks. You may have even had a few close calls and been within inches of being side-swiped by an 18-wheeler.
Sharing the road with large commercial vehicles such as semis, and even buses, is dangerous for smaller cars and trucks since these bigger autos generally have larger blind spots, longer stopping distances and much less maneuverability.
While it is not always possible to avoid every collision, there are some things you can do to limit your chances of becoming a victim of a commercial truck accident. Here are some safety tips to help you next time you share the road with one of these large vehicles.
Don’t drive in the “no zone”
Longer vehicles, like semis and buses, have large blind spots that are known as “no zones.” These areas are so big that sometimes multiple vehicles can be in a blind spot and remain totally invisible to the truck driver.
The times that you may have almost been side-swiped might have occurred because you were too far in a “no zone.” To stay out of this area, make sure that you can see the driver in the side mirror and stay alert when you are merging into a lane next to a semi-truck or bus.
Be obvious with your passing
Before you pass a truck, make sure you can see the driver in the side mirror and give him or her enough time to see your signal before moving into the next lane. Once you have done this and you have made your move to the other lane, accelerate and move past the truck as quickly and safely as possible. The last thing you want to do is to spend more time than necessary in the truck’s blind spot.
Leave enough space
Whether you are merging in front of a truck or following at the rear, be sure to leave plenty of space between you and the larger vehicle. First, cutting off a semi can be extremely dangerous because of the extra time the truck needs to slow down and stop. Second, tailgating will put you in the rear “no zone” of a semi-truck and, if you were to be hit from behind, you could easily slide under the truck which can have tragic consequences.
The above tips can help you stay safe on the road when driving near large commercial vehicles. Unfortunately, even the best driving habits cannot fully protect you from someone else’s negligence. If you have been the victim of a truck accident and suffered injuries, you might be able to file a claim for compensation.