Be aware of the no-zone: Share the road with semi trucks

Semi-trucks have become a daily presence on our nation’s roadways. We’re on the road with them on our commutes and vacations, we see them on work-related trips and briefer jaunts through the city. But how good is the passenger vehicle crowd at sharing the state highway or interstate with the big rigs that haul our goods?

There’s always room for improvement, here are a few tips from the professional driver’s point of view.

All trucks have ‘no zones’ on the sides and directly in front and back where another vehicle cannot be seen. A smaller vehicle lingering in the passing lane beside a semi is in a risky position and needs to pass as swiftly as possible. Did you know that a truck driver can see almost nothing on the right side of his/her vehicle? DO NOT PASS A SEMI ON THE RIGHT.

If you’ve just passed a semi don’t slow down - keep moving ahead. And if you prefer to remain behind the truck, don’t tailgate in the no-zone. Give the semi driver room to see you and enough space to maneuver.

When merging onto a highway or interstate, it’s usually best to pull in behind the semi. After building up to the appropriate speed, semi drivers can’t slow down quickly. Plus, if a smaller vehicle zips in front, it probably won’t be visible to the semi driver. Unless there is a large space between you and the front of the truck, merge behind and wait until it’s safe to pass.

Don’t brake suddenly in the blind spot in front of the truck. The stopping distance for a fully loaded tractor-trailer going 60 mph on dry pavement is approximately 335 feet, just over the length of a football field. Consider the reasonable stopping distance between your vehicle and the truck before starting to brake.

Is a semi stopped by the side of the road? If possible, move over just as you would for stopped emergency and law enforcement vehicles.

Normal passenger vehicle folks, what are you doing out there? Are you focusing on driving? Or are you texting, shaving, putting on your make-up, having an animated phone chat with your BFF or reading the latest best-selling novel? (Trust us — crazy driving behaviors exist.) Some of these behaviors are annoying and they are all dangerous. So be safe. Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the roadway.

Professional drivers are partners on the road. They work long hours driving and they also must scope out designated parking spots, so they can pull in and sleep. Like us, they want to do their jobs well and return home safely to their families.

Thanks to all professional drivers, who boost our economy as they transport the products upon which we depend every day.

#KDOTTUESDAYS: Sharing the road with Semi-Trucks

With more  than 2 million semis on the road every day, it is easy for other drivers to take the semi and the driver for granted.  However, by understanding the challenges that semis and their drivers face, others on the road can drive more defensively and possibly avoid a serious collision.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are nearly 450,000 collisions, approximately 140,000 people are seriously injured and at least 5,000 motorists die as a result of a crash involving a semi or large truck in the U.S. each year.

Because a commercial semi can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds and most passenger vehicles weigh 3,000 pounds or less, collisions involving commercial trucks are often the most damaging and dangerous on the roads.  Many drivers believe that because the truck is bigger, the truck is at fault.  However, statistics show that 72 percent of crashes involving semis are the fault of the other vehicle. 

Drivers can minimize the risk of a collision involving a semi by better understanding these vehicles, the challenges semi drivers face and by driving defensively.

Semis have blind spots just like passenger vehicles, but because semis are taller and longer, they have twice as many blind spots. To limit the possibility of a crash, drivers should avoid the blind spot or “no zones,” when sharing the road with semis.

The passenger side of a semi has a much larger blind spot than the driver side. As a result, drivers should pass on the left side of the semi whenever possible and not drive in the blind spot on either side unless passing.  In addition, drivers should allow extra room before cutting back in after passing, to avoid the front blind spot.

Because semis are much larger and heavier than a passenger vehicle it is much more difficult to maneuver, especially in tight situations where quick movements or lane changes are necessary. Their size also makes it impossible to come to a sudden stop. It can take a semi traveling 60 miles per hour almost the length of three football fields to come to a complete stop.  Passenger vehicles should always give the semi plenty of room and respect the semi’s space.

Finally, many trucking companies require speed limiters which limit the top speed at which the semi can travel.  This means the semi may not be able to maintain the same pace as the surrounding traffic.  Drivers should be patient and move around the semi when it is safe to do so.