Understanding Blind Spots

Avoiding a car accident with a semi-truck can be done by understanding that semi-trucks have blind spots in the front, back and on both sides from the truck driver's mirror backwards at about a 45 degree angle. Never drive close to the semi-truck on the sides or behind them. If the truck comes up behind, change lanes and speed up.

Leave Space Between the Car and the Semi-truck.

There is a rule on safe driving referred to as cushion. Cushion means leaving space between your motor vehicle and the other vehicles in front of and behind you. By keeping a larger cushion between your vehicle and the large truck it gives you time to move your car or stop the car before an impact.

Remember that truck drivers are driving large vehicles that may be heavily loaded and they do not react quickly, they do not brake quickly and the control you have in your motor vehicle is much greater than the control a truck driver has over a fully loaded truck or tractor-trailer.

Be Extra Cautious when Passing a Tractor-trailer.

Abrupt lane change truck accidents happen all the time. Over the years we have seen hundreds of accidents where the innocent driver of a car or pickup is lawfully passing a semi-truck and the truck driver, who is tired and fatigued, abruptly changes lanes without warning or signals. A car passing a semi-truck should make wide fast passes.

Making a wide fast pass helps avoid contact if the truck driver veers into your lane you can quickly avoid the accident by being at a wider distance from them and hitting the gas to quickly pass them. Truck drivers can be blown back and forth across lanes when high winds are present. Be more cautious in high wind conditions.

Bad Weather Conditions.

Bad weather conditions cause extremely dangerous situations for both the driver of the car and the semi. When rain, snow and ice are present, semis are notorious for poor braking making them slide across the road or even worse, jackknife. Always keep substantial distance away from tractor-trailers in any slick road conditions.

Fog, smoke, and dusty conditions occur rapidly with bad weather. In rural areas, it is important to realize that farmers burn their land at certain times of the year and the smoke can cause visibility issues where the truck driver may not see you. Most of these truck accidents end up in chain reaction multiple vehicle accidents.

Dust storms in the plains and flat lands where most agricultural activity occurs often creates close to zero visibility conditions. Semi-trucks often cross the center lines and cause devastating catastrophic accidents leading to death or long term disability. Be careful not to drive near trucking routes in high wind and dusty conditions.