Sharing the road with trucks

ACCORDING to MasterDrive South Africa’s managing director, Eugene Herbert, there’s a perception among motorists that cars have right of way over trucks.

Many motorists expect truck drivers to immediately move aside for faster vehicles without considering that the truck driver might have a good reason for deciding it is too risky.

To clarify this issue, it is important to look at what regulation says about yellow lane driving. Regulation 298A of the National Road Traffic Act explains that yellow lane driving is always forbidden except in the following instances:

If there is a genuine emergency like a breakdown, when rushing to hospital or if you need to stop suddenly for a medical or other emergency.

On a freeway, only emergency vehicles may use the yellow lane.

The yellow lane may never be used as a passing lane on a freeway. Yet there is an exception to this. On single lane carriageways, vehicles may move into the yellow lane to allow faster-moving vehicles to pass. This too is governed by limitations. It may only be undertaken:

When another vehicle needs to overtake.

If there is no chance of endangering anyone’s life.

During daylight hours.

If you have a clear 150 metres of visibility in front of you (not on a blind rise or in heavy rain or fog).

Herbert says: “Drivers must understand that while using the yellow lane to allow other vehicles to pass is permissible to prevent traffic from backing-up, it’s courteous driving, not a legal requirement. If the driver of a truck feels moving into the yellow lane will endanger oneself or others, he or she is under no obligation to do so.

“In turn, motorists should respect that and not pressurise drivers into making dangerous decisions.”

Herbert notes that a truck driver arguably has a much better view of the potential dangers ahead, and if they decide to not move into the yellow lane, they likely have good reason.

“They’re protecting not only their own safety, but yours,” he adds.

It’s been reported that during the first six months of 2019, 588 crashes occurred on the N3 Toll Route. Some sources show up to 40 of these crashes were fatal, causing more than 60 deaths.

When sharing the highways and byways with trucks this holiday season, keep these three top-tips in mind:

1. Do not pass a truck on the left. Pass a truck in the right lane, as that’s the side where the truck driver can see your vehicle for the longest period as you’re overtaking.

2. Do not linger next to a truck, particularly in the truck driver’s blind spot. If you can’t see the truck driver in his mirror, then he can’t see you.

3. Don’t change lanes in front of a truck until you can see the entire front of the truck in your rear-view mirror.