An accident with a tractor trailer can be a devastating collision and have dire consequences for you and your passengers. A full large rig can weigh more than the average vehicle by many tons, leaving your car unable to withstand the force of a crashing truck. While accidents can happen, there are steps you can take to ensure the safety of you and your family while traveling on our interstates. Defensive driving techniques will help you avoid life-threatening collisions with tractor trailers and allow you and the truck driver to reach your destination safely.

It is important to keep a safe distance from other vehicles. This is even more important when traveling near semitrailers. Tractor trailers simply cannot maneuver through traffic like other vehicles. Their operating limits will prevent them from making quick turns and making a sudden stop. In fact, a freight forwarder traveling at a maximum speed of 65 MPH takes about twice as long to come to a complete stop as an average car. Diving a safe distance behind a large platform will allow you the distance necessary to safely stop your vehicle or maneuver to avoid an accident.

It is equally important to give the truck enough room behind you after passing. Do not pass a trailer and return to the right lane without giving the trailer enough room to stop if necessary. If you are traveling in front of a tractor trailer, be sure to leave enough so that if you need to make a sudden stop, the large truck can stop without hitting you.

While it is dangerous to travel immediately in front of or directly behind a tractor trailer, one of the most dangerous places is driving alongside. Don’t ride directly next to a semi-trailer because your side mirrors just can’t see you, which means the truck driver doesn’t know you’re there. This is called a blind spot, and truckers have a significant gap in what they can see through their mirrors. Only ride alongside a large platform when passing or being passed, and be sure to pass quickly without spending too much time in the trucker’s blind spot. If the tractor trailer needs to make a sudden lane change, it may do so without knowing you are there, so be sure to make a complete pass from a safe distance behind to a suitable distance ahead. This will ensure that the truck driver sees when you start and complete your pass.

Another important thing to remember about your blind spot is the danger you can be in when you are next to a truck when it turns. If you are on the right side of a tractor trailer when it is turning right, you could get caught in a squeeze. A large platform needs enough space to make wide turns. If a truck driver doesn’t know you are there, you could get caught between the truck and the sidewalk. Be sure not to park a tractor with a trailer on the right side at an intersection, especially if your turn signal is on and you are in a center lane. Allow them the space they need to complete a wide turn.

Share the road responsibly with tractor trailers and you will ensure that you, your passengers, and the truck driver have safe trips.