Blind Spots in Large Semi Trucks: Where Are They?

You would think that when someone is driving one of the largest, most dangerous vehicles on the road, that they would be able to see their surroundings better, not worse, than the rest of us. But when it comes to trucks and truck drivers, you may not be aware of just how little of the road around him or her that driver can actually see.

That’s because unlike the vehicles that we all drive, trucks have a significant number of blind spots. Trucks ride higher, and are longer than other vehicles, with the driver in a higher position than drivers normally are. This can lead to accidents caused by cars being in a truck’s blind spot.

In Front of the Truck

One blind spot is, surprisingly, directly in front of the driver. Yes, the front of a large commercial semi truck is often not seen by the driver, simply because the car and the driver are so high up. The blind spot may be so big that it can even mask a smaller vehicle that is too far in front of the truck.

Cars that make quick lane changes, can be hit by trucks, which don’t see them change lanes, and which, because of the front blind spot, don’t see the cars even after they’ve made their lane change.

The Back of the Truck

The same holds true for the back of the truck. Because trucks have large cargo beds, the height of the bed means that the driver cannot use rear view mirrors like the rest of us. Yes, side view mirrors on trucks allow the driver to see some of what’s behind him, but often a driver cannot see vehicles that are between 100 and 200 feet behind the vehicle—a significant blind spot.

The Sides of the Truck

The largest and “blindest” spot is the one that spans the length of the truck’s passenger side. It can actually make not just the immediately adjacent lane, but other lanes near that lane, invisible to the driver.

The driver’s side also has a blind spot, but that blind spot normally spans only one lane adjacent to the truck, not multiple lanes like the one on the passenger side.

Who is at Fault?

Not every trucking accident is caused by the truck or the truck driver. Drivers of the cars around a truck need to take precautions, and make sure they don’t sit in blind spots, or make sudden lane changes.

On the other hand, truck drivers are specially trained, and should know how to handle blind spots, and should know what maneuvers should not be made while driving a truck, because of the extended blind spots.

And, there is an old saying that holds true—if you can’t see a truck’s mirrors, they can’t see you—although that’s only partially true, because even when you can see the truck’s mirrors, the truck driver may still not be able to see you.

Injured by a commercial or semi truck? Call the Boston personal injury lawyers at The Law Office of Joseph Linnehan, Jr. today at 617-275-4200 to see how we can help you.

Source:

truckingwatchdog.com/2017/01/25/why-these-4-blind-spots-in-trucks-are-still-a-huge-safety-problem/