January 23, 2015
Americans like to drive. We drive almost anywhere and everywhere. At any moment, you can use the network of roadways in our country, whether it’s a quick run to the grocery store or across a few states to visit friends or family. If you were traveling over the holidays, you know the amount of people on the road has risen drastically and will continue to rise.
What we forget are the guys who use the highway as much as we use an office desk. Truck drivers are on the roadways all day and night, 365 days a year. When you jump in your car to run to the store, be mindful of these truck drivers – they are the ones delivering the products you are about to go purchase.
ABCO Transportation cares about our drivers as well as the safety of others on the road. We want to educate drivers about proper etiquette while driving around semi trucks. Continue reading to learn the top safety tips for sharing the road with truck drivers.
What Are the Most Common Types of Accidents?
- Crashes that are caused by the truck’s inability to stop in time.
- Crashes caused by motorist trying to pass on the right side of a truck while the truck is making a right-hand turn. This is also referred to as the right turn squeeze.
- Crashes caused by motorist riding in the truck’s blind spots.
How to Prevent Accidents with Truck Drivers
Most accidents occur because the majority of motorists don’t understand how difficult it is to drive a tractor and trailer of this size. It is much harder for semi trucks to make turns or quick changes between lanes or in speed. Here are some of the top reasons accidents occur with semi truck drivers.
Riding in a tractor trailer’s blind spots. There are multiple blind spots on a tractor trailer most drivers should be aware of: the rear of the truck, the mid-left section of the trailer and on the right side of the trailer. When passing a tractor trailer, make sure to do it quickly and not ride along side of the trailer in that blind spot.
Cutting off a truck driver. Make sure when changing or merging lanes you don’t cut off a tractor trailer. Also try not to ride between two big rigs. It takes roughly three times longer for a tractor trailer to stop than your car. If the one in front of you has to suddenly stop, the one behind you might not have as much time to react and your car can become sandwiched between the two.
Impatience while a truck is backing in or trying to get out of a tight spot. It can be frustrating when you are in a rush and have a trailer blocking part of the road or intersection, however, keep in mind most of these drivers are also on tight schedules and are not intentionally trying to get in your way. A tractor trailer can measure up to 48 feet long – there is a lot of room for error when trying to back in one of these trucks and they need to take their time to do it properly and safely. Imagine what you go through just backing up a normal trailer with a truck – now imagine that trailer being three to four times longer.
Don’t impede the truck driver from merging or changing lanes. This is one of the most important tips. Tractor trailers are large and need a lot of room to merge lanes, so please allow them to do so. The truck driver might see something you don’t well ahead of time, maybe an accident on the side of the road or traffic coming onto the highway. Most drivers will make an effort to position themselves ahead of time. If you have a truck trying to merge, slow down and let them over instead of trying to speed past them. You will do them a favor by providing space and time and can prevent a clustering or cars or last minute lane changes that might force other drivers into a bad position.
ABCO Transportation makes sure our drivers are well equipped and prepared to drive safely. We hope that with these tips you can also make safer decisions while navigating the highways with truck drivers. Working together, we can make the roads a safer place for both tractor trailer and automobile drivers. If you have questions about driving safety, contact us or reach out via our social media channels.
Make the road a safer place by learning these #safety tips for sharing the road with #truckers http://t.co/y1T1slW1c5
— ABCO Transportation (@DriveABCO) January 23, 2015