Caution Around Truck Drivers Keeps Roads Safe

It may not seem like a big deal to quickly pull in front of a large truck on the way to exit the freeway. He was driving extremely slow, and you end up being late for an appointment. What you may have not anticipated were the deadly consequences that followed after cutting off a truck driver.

In 2010, over 500,000 large truck and commercial drivers were involved in auto accidents in Utah and throughout America. Although trucks often slow down the roads, their massive size causes massive limitations that need to be acknowledged by other drivers.

It may even better to avoid driving next to semi-trucks in the first place. Tire blowouts are common on the freeway and since trucks have more weight to balance, tires are more likely to pop. Auto accidents are a common result when tire blowouts happen in Utah or anywhere else because it can often cause the vehicle to swerve, taking other cars out with it.

Trucks are also more dangerous to be around when it is windy. They are a lot like sails due to their giant surface area. Especially if a truck is empty, wind can force it into neighboring lanes and end up as the cause for more auto accidents.

One of the biggest disadvantages of driving around trucks, however, is the driver’s extreme lack of vision. Their blind spots are much bigger and more numerous than regular cars, especially on the right side of the truck. If passing a semi-truck is the only option, do it on the left side where they are more likely to see another car and avoid auto accidents.

The real challenge though comes with the actual passing process. Passing cars on Utah roads and abroad need to estimate about one car length for every 10 miles an hour they are driving between them and the trucker in the next lane. If a traffic jam occurs, that is the only way the heavy truck will be able to stop without hitting the passing car.

Truckers also have to make turns at a wider angle. This can pose a problem when another car tries to turn at the same time in the next lane. A lot of times the truck driver won’t see the other car in its blind spot and think it has more room to turn than it actually does. Whether it is a Utah driver or someone else, turning next to a semi-truck is never a good idea.

It is possible to share the road with truck drivers. It just takes a lot of caution and realization that semi-trucks have more mass than regular cars and therefore have higher limitations. Being respectful towards truck drivers could be the thing that ends up saving your life — so don’t take that chance.

Shauna Holdaway is a legal writer reporter for Fusion 360, a Content Marketing Agency. Information provided by Robert J Debry.

*Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons