Because of their large size, semi-trucks have many more blind spots than smaller vehicles. The most dangerous and critical blind spots to keep in mind are the following:
The front of the truck
A semi-truck driver cannot see smaller vehicles within 20 feet in front of it, which is extremely dangerous because semi-trucks need more time and space to hit the brakes and stop the truck.
The back of the truck
The back of a semi-truck is even more dangerous because the driver cannot see a length of 30 feet behind it, which means that if a small vehicle is driving too close to the semi-truck, it will not see it, therefore leaving open the possibility of the driver of the semi-truck hitting the breaks.
This is especially important for longer trucks. These commercial vehicles rely heavily on mirrors to see their surroundings. Smaller vehicles must remember that the longer the truck, the larger the blind spot for the driver.
The left side of the truck
It is difficult for the driver to see from the driver’s door all the way toward the back of the truck. The danger here is that the driver cannot see smaller vehicles driving in the left lane behind the driver’s door.
The right side of the truck
There is a large blind spot from the front right side of the truck all the way toward the back. This is dangerous for smaller vehicles because the truck driver cannot see cars driving on the lanes from the right of the truck, and this includes visibility in the driver’s side mirror.
It is also important to note that because most semi-trucks don’t have rearview mirrors, they cannot see as well as a car can. On top of that, their size does not help- because they are so large, it is very easy for a semi-truck driver to slam into a smaller vehicle.
We have seen some technological advances over time but nothing significant enough to make a part of the vehicle. For these reasons, it is critical to stay away from the semi-truck as much as possible, and if you can safely pass it, it might be better than driving behind it.