Blind Spots on Trucks

When driving your car, you should be aware of your ‘blind spots’ – spots around your car which cannot be seen via the mirrors. For this reason you should always do a head check before changing lanes. Due to the size and length of trucks, which are obviously much larger than that of the average car, the blind spot areas are also much larger which makes for a potentially dangerous situation if other drivers are not aware of this.
You may have seen a sign on the back of a truck: “If you can’t see my mirrors I can’t see you!” This is actually true, if you are too close behind a truck to see their mirrors, the driver has no chance of seeing you, and any unexpected turning or braking from the truck could easily end up in a collision. In NSW, campaigns have recently been launched to make road users aware of the dangers associated with sharing the road with trucks. This is due to several spots around the truck that are out of sight for the driver, so any pedestrian, small car or motorcyclist could be completely out of sight and has a high risk of having an accident.
Trucks in general also need more space to perform basic driving manoeuvres. It is common when a truck approaches a roundabout, or turning a corner to take up both lanes to make sure they have enough space. This is also why they have another sign which says ‘Do not overtake turning vehicle’. Another thing to be aware of is the braking distance needed for a truck to stop which is far greater than much smaller vehicles such as regular sized passenger cars and motorcycles. So it’s best to think twice before merging, or stopping unexpectedly in front of trucks.
A B-double truck (unloaded) travelling at 40km/h can take up to 35 metres to stop. If the same truck is traveling at 60km/h, the stopping distance almost doubles to 67 metres. In comparison, a car (unloaded) travelling at 40km/h takes about 27 metres to stop and about 47 metres when travelling at 60km/h. If, in addition, the truck was carrying multiple heavy pallet delivery consignments, this would also impact the stopping distance.
Tips to be safe around trucks:
Pedestrians
-        Only cross at designated pedestrian crossings
-        Don’t be distracted by mobile devices and headphones
-        Take extra care around trucks and remember that truck drivers can’t always see you.
Motorcycle riders
-        Avoid lane filtering near trucks
-        Some trucks have trailers and can be longer than expected – take care when overtaking and changing lanes
-        Avoid overtaking trucks when they are turning.

Truck drivers undergo extra training to operate a heavy vehicle, and they should look out for pedestrians and other road users. Nonetheless, for everyone’s safety, it is important for other road users to look out for them as well.

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