How to share the road with large trucks

In the coming weeks and months, traffic levels around cities are expected to return more back to normal. More office workers are heading back to in-person work, and in the fall, many students will return to the classroom full-time. So, if you haven’t needed to head out on the road each day in a while, you’ll soon realize that you are sharing the road with more and more vehicles, including large trucks.

You might feel a little uncertain anytime you spend a lot of time driving near a large semi. You might fear what might happen if the truck unexpectedly runs into you.. Unfortunately, about 500,000 accidents with large trucks happen each year in the United States. In 2019, more than 4,100 people died in accidents involving large trucks which was 31% higher than in 2009.

So, drivers need to know how to safely share the road with large trucks. Here are five tips you can follow to reduce your risk of becoming involved in a large truck crash:

1. Avoid staying in truck driver’s blind spots. (The blind spots are right in front of the truck, behind the truck’s cab on the left and right in back of the truck.)
2. Follow the four-second rule when following a large truck, allowing four seconds to pass between when a semi passes a roadside object and your vehicle does. You want to have plenty of space to slow down if a truck stops suddenly or if you need to maneuver when the truck wavers in the wind or makes a sudden movement.
3. Only pass a semi-truck on the left and maintain a steady speed while doing that.
4. Make sure when you pass a large truck, you leave plenty of space between your car and the semi. You don’t want a truck driver to have to slow down too quickly to avoid hitting you.
5. Don’t drive while distracted or drive while drowsy. You need to be aware of your surroundings at all times when in the proximity of large trucks. You have more ability to maneuver your vehicle quickly than a driver of a large truck does.

By keeping these simple tips in mind, you are less likely to have your life changed in an instant. You can avoid the devastating injuries that drivers often suffer in a large truck crash. You also can not only better ensure your safety, but the safety of your passengers and those you share the road with.