Sharing the road with large trucks and buses

A loaded tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, often 20 to 30 times as much as a car. That weight makes a crash with one far worse, and it changes how the truck speeds up, slows down and turns. Driving safely around one means planning for its blind spots, its stopping distance and its wide turns.

Blind spots

• Don't linger beside a truck or busThe blind spots run along all four sides.
• Look for the driver's face in the truck's mirrorIf you can't see it, the driver can't see you.
• Give a truck room when it passes you or merges from an on-ramp

Stopping and following

• Never cut in suddenly in front of a truckAt highway speed, a truck can need up to two football fields to stop, and cutting in takes away that room.
• Stay well back when stopped behind a truck or busOn an uphill, a large vehicle can roll back. In a crash from behind, a car can slide or be pushed under a truck, which rides much higher off the ground.
• Be patient while it speeds upTrucks and buses accelerate slowly, especially uphill, and drive at a speed that suits their load.

Turns and passing

• Wait for a truck to finish turning before you go
• Never squeeze between a right-turning truck and the curbA large vehicle often can't turn right from the right lane, so it may swing left first to make room.
• Pass on the leftDon't pass a truck or bus from the right lane.
• Signal clearly and leave extra room when you pull back in frontWait until you can see the truck in your rearview mirror before you merge.
• Don't pass going downhillHeavy trucks pick up speed on downgrades.
• Hold your lane against the wind a big truck pushes

Your own driving

• Make sure everyone in the car is buckled up
• Pull off the road and stop to do anything besides drive
• Arrange another driver if a medicine you take warns about drowsiness
• Take a break, or swap drivers, when you feel tired