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Motorists know that passenger cars have a place to the rear side that blocks their view. Drivers cannot see other vehicles in that area, referred to as a blind spot. What motorists might not know is that tractor-trailer rigs and other large trucks have not one, but four huge blind spots, so the danger zone of collision is multiplied.
Blind spots, in truckers’ jargon, are called “no zones,” and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association cautions that drivers should know where they are. If you have been injured due to a truck accident involving blind spots, contact a skilled truck accident lawyer from Kogan & DiSalvo right away.
The Four No Zones
Coming up from behind a rig, a driver will notice that large rearview mirrors jet out pretty far from the side of the truck. The right side mirror extends farther out than the left for better visibility.
The sides of the rig are the first and second no zones. If a motorist cannot see the truck driver in the mirror, the truck driver cannot see them. It is simple geometry.
The third no zone is behind the truck. The driver cannot see anything behind the truck that is within 30 feet of the trailer.
No zone number four is in front of the rig. The truck is so tall and the driver sits so high that anything directly in front of the rig cannot be seen from the driver’s seat, unless the object is at least 20 feet in front of the rig.
Driving Tips Around Trucks
Some drivers may assume that since a truck is so tall, it must have good visibility. The Truckers Report argues otherwise. In passing, the best thing to do, it suggests, is to pass a truck rapidly rather than pacing along in a blind spot. The rig can kick up road debris, too. A driver should not pass the rig on the right. That side has the greatest blind spot extending far along the trailer’s length.
In passing the truck, a motorist should not return to the lane until they can see all of the truck in their rearview mirror. Although advances have been made in collision avoidance technology, there is no absolute solution to big rig blind spots.
Truck blind spots likely cause a sizable proportion of the 384,000 wrecks involving large trucks every year, with 4,100 fatalities, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. If you are involved in a truck accident due to a blind spot, contact a Boynton Beach truck accident lawyer for information on the compensation that might be available to you.
