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2 safety mistakes that increase the risk of semitruck collisions 

Most drivers are very aware of large vehicles, like semitrucks, in traffic. It is hard to ignore a vehicle that is twice as tall and multiple times longer than the average passenger vehicle, and people are aware of how the crashes these vehicles cause are among the worst that occurred in the United States. 

Many commercial crashes are the result of something unsafe that the semitruck driver or their employer did. Those in passenger vehicles can’t control what others do, but they can follow the two safety tips below to reduce their chance of being to blame for a commercial crash. 

How do passenger vehicles contribute to semitruck crashes? 

1. They drive in a semitruck’s blind spots

The large blind zones around commercial trucks are a well-known safety concern. Motorists should try to avoid the space directly behind a commercial vehicle. They should also avoid the lane directly to the left of the trailer and the two lanes to the right of the trailer. Staying out of a truck’s blind spots will reduce the chance of the commercial driver doing something unsafe because they don’t spot others in traffic. 

2. They cut it too close when merging

The weight of a commercial truck means that these vehicles have more momentum on the road. They take longer to stop than passenger vehicles. People endanger themselves by getting too close to the front end of a commercial truck when merging in traffic. Safety experts often recommend leaving twice the amount of space when merging in front of a commercial truck as opposed to when merging in front of another passenger vehicle. 

Employing proactive safety measures can help people reduce their chances of getting into a collision with a semitruck.