While car accidents of any variety are extremely serious, there’s no doubt that getting into an accident with an 18-wheel truck is almost always catastrophic due to the amount of force involved. This means that, as a driver of a four-wheeled passenger vehicle, you need to do everything in your power to ensure that one of these big behemoths does not hit you on the highway. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, it is vital to understand how a semi truck operates in order to avoid accidents with one.
For instance, semi trucks are going to turn at a much wider rate as compared to passenger vehicles. They may even begin their turns from a middle lane in some instances, and can potentially run into unsuspecting cars this way. You should stop your car in front of the “box” created at busy intersections since, often, trucks and busses will need this space to complete their wide turns.
Blind spots are also much bigger on semi trucks as compared to passenger vehicles. Generally, you should assume that if you cannot see the mirrors on the semi truck in front of you, the truck cannot see you. You should never pass a semi truck on the right, as this is the truck’s largest blind spot.
If you do wish to pass a semi truck, make sure to do so on the left and put plenty of space between you and the truck before merging back into the lane. Semi trucks are much heavier than passenger vehicles and require more time to come to a stop, so cutting one off could potentially have fatal consequences.
