Blind Spots

Blind spots are a factor common to many semi-trailer collisions. One of the motorists’ myths is that drivers of the big rigs sit high and have a good view of all the surrounding traffic. Only the first part is true. While the driver does sit high and has the advantage of a large windshield, the blind spot or “no zone” area of limited or absent visibility is greater for a truck than for a passenger vehicle.

Good drivers are aware of primary blind spots on a semi-rig.

• Driver’s Side

  The driver’s side blind spot begins where the driver’s left peripheral vision ends and extends back along the trailer until the image of another vehicle can be fully captured in the side mirror.

  Defensive driving technique: Look for the driver’s face in the outside mirror. If you cannot see it, the driver cannot see you. Do not linger along the side of the truck; pass or fall back to a safer area.

• Rear

  The area directly behind the trailer is a blind spot that extends back several car lengths. This area is completely blind, even when the trucker’s mirrors are adjusted properly.

  Defensive driving technique: Stay back and do not tailgate. Resist the temptation to save gas by traveling in the truck’s draft.

• Right Side

  This blind spot is the trucker’s largest one, running the entire length of the rig and extending out by as much as three lanes.

  Defensive driving technique: Avoid passing a tractor trailer on its right. On multi-lane highways, never make a lane change into a trucker’s blind spot.

• Turning Truck

  A turning truck presents a special problem for visibility. Because a truck is articulated or “hinged” where the tractor meets the trailer, the driver’s mirrors will not be aligned with the trailer during a turn. The mirror on the side toward the direction of the turn will show only the trailer, and the mirror on the far side away from the turn will shoot off into space. A vehicle behind the truck will always be hidden in a blind spot, and the side blind spots will change as the driver steers through the turn.

  Defensive driving technique: Do not drive alongside a truck that has its turn signal flashing.

If you have the misfortune to be involved in a blind spot trucking accident, the best defensive technique is consulting a lawyer that handles trucking accident cases.

Further Legal Reading: Visit a truck accident lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia.

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