a man in a bee costume sits in the back seat behind a scared driver

KNOWING THE ‘NO ZONES’ IS THE FIRST STEP IN PREVENTING DEADLY COLLISIONS WITH TRUCKS

CRASH FACTS

FACT: Collisions with large trucks (commercial motor vehicles) are 3X more deadly than other collisions.
FACT: A loaded commercial motor vehicle (truck) can weigh up to 80,000 lbs—or more—and takes twice as long to slow down or speed up than other vehicles.
FACT: The majority of collisions occur in daylight and good weather.
FACT: The vast majority of collisions are due to driver error—inattention, violating right of way, following too close or driving too fast for conditions.

See Crash Statistics from the Kansas Department of Transporation

What’s the “No Zone?”

Truck blind spots are dangerous for other vehicles. If a vehicle can’t be seen by the driver of a rig, the risk of collision increases dramatically. A simple lane change can cause a collision, create wind turbulence that pushes the other vehicle to another lane or spray road gravel and debris onto the other vehicle.

The “No Zone” blind spots are shown in the illustration in red. They are directly in front and behind trucks, as well as on the left and right.

Avoid the possibility of a collision!

Pass with care. Never pass on the right.
Never linger to either side of other vehicles, if possible.
Do not follow trucks too closely. Trucks block your visibility for obstacles farther down the road. If they hit the brakes suddenly, you risk a rear collision.
Do not cut off trucks too closely in front. This is another area where visibility is limited. And if you need to brake suddenly, the truck behind you may not be able to slow in time to avoid colliding with you.