Many people hate sharing the road with semis. They find them scary. They’re right to be worried, as a truck could easily kill you if you collide. However, they are here to stay, as we rely on them to stock the shelves of the places we shop.
If you don’t like them, you could look for routes that avoid them, but sometimes that’s not an option because you need to take a major road or because the trucks go along your local roads to get to a store or warehouse. Here’s what you can do:
Allow them extra space
This applies whether you are stuck in traffic on a single-lane road or speeding along a freeway. Trucks need a lot of space. While most truck drivers are highly skilled, the vehicles themselves are not agile. They have huge turning circles and long braking distances. Other precautions include:
- Don’t sneak up inside them on your local roads, as they might struggle to see you before they turn.
- Don’t ride too close in any direction on faster roads because they could easily overrun you.
- Don’t ride next to them any longer than necessary. Their high sides could catch the wind, sending them across your path or even toppling a trailer on top of you.
- Don’t ride directly behind a truck, either. If you sit too close behind and don’t notice them brake in time, you could go under the back of the vehicle, and such underride accidents are deadly.
- Don’t cut them off as you merge back into their lane after passing them. If you pull in too close in front of a truck after overtaking, the driver might not be able to slow down enough, and they could run into the back of you.
Taking these precautions reduces the risk that a truck driver injures you in a crash. If they still do, consider legal help to learn more about the next steps to take.