Staying safe when sharing the road with semi-trucks, buses and large vehicles.pdf
It’s important that drivers learn to safely share the road with semi-trucks, buses and large vehicles. If your
job involves driving, you need to be cognizant of your surroundings at all times and give ample space
between your vehicle and others.
Follow these rules of the road to help avoid problems when driving near trucks and buses:
1. Stay out of blind spots: a simple rule to follow is if you cannot see the side mirrors on a semi-truck,
the driver cannot see you. Avoid driving in these blind spots by slowing down or moving ahead to stay
visible.
2. Pass with caution: before passing, make sure you can see the driver in the mirror. Signal first then
move lanes, accelerating so you can get past the truck and out of the blind spot. Do not pass a truck or
semi when on a downgrade because they will naturally tend to pick up speed.
3. Don’t cut in: according to the Department of Transportation (DOT), on average, it takes buses and
semi-trucks 40% longer on average to stop than a standard vehicle. Therefore, it is necessary to clear
enough space between you and a truck or bus when passing in front of them because they might see
you but may not have time to stop.
4. Back off: nobody likes to be tailgated and that is especially true for trucks or large vehicles. Getting
too close puts you in harm’s way because you are in their blind spot. It is particularly dangerous to get
too close when on an upgrade where a bus or truck might roll back.
5. Expect wide turns: according to DOT, the turning radius of a semi-truck is 55 feet. Watch for signals
and do not squeeze by or get between the vehicle and the curb when a truck has a turn signal engaged.
On city street intersections, keep at least a cars length away from the stop block to allow the truck ample
turning radius.