SAFE DRIVING

The following seven tips for sharing the roadways safely with tractor-trailers and other big rigs were posted in an Oct. 17 blog on the Fleet Net America website. They offer some commonsense advice for avoiding catastrophe while traveling alongside semi trucks.

• Drive defensively — Operating a vehicle probably comes second nature to you. But, no matter how comfortable or skilled you are behind the wheel, it’s important to remain alert at all times — especially around large trucks. Semis are bigger in size and weight, making them slower to react to avoid collisions. Pay attention to vehicle locations, traffic flow, vehicle signals and weather so you can anticipate problems and have plenty of time to safely change course if necessary.

• Keep a safe distance — Driving close to a semi puts you at greater risk for being hurt by sudden stops, tire blowouts or rollovers caused by strong wind. So, whether you’re behind, in front or beside a large truck, leave plenty of space for merging, swerving and maneuvering. It’s best practice to keep at least a four-second following distance between you and the trailer in case of a sudden stop.

• Avoid blind spots — The right side of a commercial motor vehicle is the largest blind spot for a truck driver — sometimes blocking their view for three or more lanes. Other areas of concern include directly in front of the cab, behind the trailer and certain zones along the driver’s side. Avoid spending time in these zones to ensure the driver can see you.

• Pass quickly — Passenger vehicles typically travel faster than semis, so it’s not unusual to pass a lot of trucks along your route. Practice safe passing by driving closer to the shoulder rather than the truck, and speeding up instead of lingering.

• Don’t cut a large truck off — Semis have much longer stopping distances — up to two football fields when traveling 65 mph. To prevent a rear-end collision, make sure you can see the entire front end of the truck before merging in front of it.

• Dim the bright lights — When traveling near or past a semi, make sure your bright headlights are dimmed. Bright lights reflecting off large truck mirrors can cause two seconds or more of temporary blindness when traveling at 55 mph. The general rule of thumb is to lower your bright lights when you’re one block (or closer) behind a semi.

• Always signal — As mentioned, trucks require more time to react to motorists stopping, turning or merging lanes. Because of this, it’s important to signal the driver at least three seconds or more before upcoming changes. This timing allows the truck driver to slow down or move over.