Truck’s Blind Spots: Areas to Avoid

The massive size and height of buses and semi-trucks make them easily visible to other vehicles on the road. However, the larger the size, the less visible average cars are to the driver. Semi-trucks contain much larger blind spots than the standard vehicles. Sharing the road with these enormous vehicles, comes at a great challenge. 

You may not be able to completely avoid a catastrophic accident with a semi-truck, but you can reduce the likelihood by avoiding the trucker’s four major blind spots: the front, rear and both sides of the tractor to the front of the trailer. If you are driving within proximity of a semi-truck, it is important to be aware of where you are in the trucker’s view at all times. 

What is a Blind Spot?

A “blind spot” is any area around a vehicle that prohibits the driver from seeing directly while behind the wheel. These areas exist in a wide range of vehicles, especially semi-trucks and buses. Some vehicles, such as motorcycles, do not have any blind spots. Commercial truck blind spots can be larger than those of passenger cars.

Trucks have larger and more numerous blind spots than passenger vehicles for various reasons, such as the length and height of the truck and lack of a rear-view mirror. The large length of semi or commercial trucks result in minimal visibility on both sides of the trucks and in the back and front. The large height difference between a truck and a passenger vehicle prevents truckers from seeing a low-riding car.

How Do I Know If I’m in a Truck’s Blind Spot?

It is nearly impossible to know for sure whether you are in a trucker’s blind spot. However, it is best to know the possible blind spots of trucks and buses to help avoid being in them. The three main areas you should avoid around a truck:

• The blind spot behind the commercial or semi-truck, which can encompass several lanes in each direction.
• The blind spot in front of the truck, which includes the lane the truck is in and goes out one lane to the right
• The blind spot next to the truck’s right door.

Contact us!

If you or a loved has been injured in a truck accident caused by the negligence of another party, you should discuss your legal options with an attorney as you may be entitled to compensation. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Samer Habbas & Associates have achieved over $135 million for their clients so far. For more information or to schedule a FREE consultation with one of the attorneys, call 949-727-9300.