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Large trucks have different blind spots than passenger cars. Known as “No-Zones,” the blind spots are much larger than for cars and light-duty trucks. This blog will discuss the common blind spots in trucks, and how to avoid them.
If you got injured in an accident with a large truck or bus, a Los Angeles truck accident attorney could help you seek compensation for your losses from the negligent party who caused the collision. We can be with you through every step of this challenging process.
The Locations of Blind Spots Around Tractor-Trailers
A “No-Zone” or blind spot is a location in which your vehicle is “invisible” to the driver of the large truck or bus. You are there, but they cannot see you. If they check their mirrors before changing lanes, they will not know that you are there. The tractor-trailer could crash right into you even though they looked to see if the lane was clear.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warns drivers of smaller vehicles like cars and light-duty trucks to stay out of these dangerous areas to prevent these collisions. Large trucks have No-Zones in front of them, on both sides and behind them, so it would be prudent to give these behemoth vehicles a wide birth.
How to Avoid Big Rig Blind Spots
Knowing how huge a truck’s blind spots are is the first step to avoiding these locations. The front no-zone of a semi-truck is around 20 feet long. If you cut in front of a truck when passing or changing lanes, they will not see you. Because the truck cab sits up so high, the driver cannot see objects directly in front of the vehicle.
The blind spot behind the semi-truck goes back about 200 feet. If you tailgate, the truck driver will not see you in their side mirrors. Staying further back gives you more reaction time if the tractor-trailer stops suddenly and allows you to see more of what is happening on the road in front of the truck.
Also, because of the trailers they haul, tractor-trailers do not have rear-view mirrors. They cannot see if someone is close behind them.
Large trucks have much larger side blind spots than you might realize. You do not want to cruise down the highway along either side of the truck. The blind spot extends from the front to well beyond the length of the truck on the passenger side of the vehicle. The driver’s side blind spot is not as long as the passenger side blind spot, but it is still dangerous. Surprisingly, the driver of a tractor-trailer cannot see your vehicle in their mirrors when you are right next to the cab on the driver’s side.
Crashes that involve large trucks and buses can cause catastrophic or fatal injuries, usually to the people in the smaller vehicles. Sometimes, despite taking great care, people get injured in collisions with tractor-trailers.
If you got injured or lost a loved one in a semi-truck accident, a Los Angeles personal injury attorney can help you pursue the money damages you deserve. When we handle your motor vehicle accident injury claim, you only have to worry about getting better because we take care of everything else. You can reach out to us today for a free consultation.