Cartersville Truck Accident Lawyer

Driving Safely Around Semi Trucks in Cartersville

Sharing the road with massive semi trucks is no one’s idea of a good time. Unfortunately, driving around trucks is an unavoidable aspect of living in Cartersville. While there is no way to completely eliminate truck accidents, there are steps you can take to drive safely around big rigs and decrease the risk of a collision. 

1. Keep your distance

Due to the size of semi trucks, they have massive blind spots. This means there are areas where the truck driver cannot see other vehicles near them. The main blind spots are just in front and behind of the truck, in addition to the area just beside the cabin. A good rule of thumb is that if you cannot see the driver’s face in the truck’s side mirrors, they cannot see you.

Semi trucks also take much longer to come to a stop than passenger vehicles. When they do have to come to a sudden stop, vehicles that are following too closely could slide under the trailer (called an underride accident). Give 18-wheelers a wide berth whenever possible.

2. Pass and merge safely

When you pass a semi truck, make sure the driver can see you. Staying too long in their blind spot while you pass can lead to a collision if the trucker switches lanes. Always pass big rigs on the left if you can, and do not try to overtake a truck when you are going down a hill, since big vehicles tend to pick up speed on hills. 

If you plan on merging into the lane in front of the truck, do so with caution. Make sure you are not in the truck’s front blind spot when you merge over. A good rule to follow is to make sure you can see the top of the truck’s cabin in your rearview mirror before you merge in front of them. 

3. Have patience

Perhaps the most important rule of all is to drive defensively around semi trucks. When an 80,000-pound big rig is accelerating, it takes time. Some of these trucks also have a speed limiter that prevents the vehicle from traveling above a certain speed. Even if these devices are not installed, truckers must drive at a safe speed for their cargo.

When a semi truck makes a right turn, it will need to swing out into the left lane to do so. These large vehicles will need time to make their wide turns. Avoid rushing around turning trucks, as that can lead to a collision. Instead, wait the few seconds the truck needs before continuing.