Whether you’re a relatively new driver or someone that has experience on the road, trucks are probably the scariest vehicles you’ll encounter behind the wheel. Trucks are extremely heavy, they have limited vision and could easily crush your entire vehicle with you inside of it. It’s essential that you avoid colliding with trucks or getting into any accidents involving them, hence why it’s a good idea to learn about defensive driving.
But what exactly is defensive driving and how does it work?
Defensive driving is essentially a series of driving techniques that will help you avoid getting into accidents in the first place. It’s all about reading the flow of traffic, understanding your vehicle and looking out for different cars on the road instead of just yourself. Considering a truck weighs 20 to 30 times more than a regular car and has limited vision, you and the driver of the truck are equally responsible for avoiding an accident.
So in this post, we’re going to take a look at some helpful defensive driving tips that will help you avoid large vehicles so you can stay safe on the road.
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1. When driving behind a truck, make sure you leave plenty of space
We’re taught to always leave plenty of space between you and the car you’re following. After all, nobody wants to risk damaging the car they invested in. However, when it comes to trucks, you should try to leave a bit more space because they’re much larger and slower vehicles.
2. Know the truck’s blind spots
If you can’t see the driver’s face in their side mirrors then they can’t see you unless it’s an advanced model with cameras all around it. Make sure you avoid the truck’s blindspots if you want to stay safe when driving near them.
3. If a truck is turning, be cautious
Trucks take forever to turn and they take up a lot of space on the road when they do. If you notice that a truck is turning, slow down, keep your eyes on it and make sure you leave plenty of space between you and the truck.
4. If you have to pass a truck, do it quickly
Tire blowouts aren’t exactly uncommon and if you’re beside a truck when that happens, it could fall onto your car and crush it. If you have to pass a truck, make sure you do it as quickly and safely as possible instead of lingering next to it.
5. Never drive distracted, especially around trucks
Distracted driving is a big problem on the road regardless if there are trucks around or not. However, when you’re around a truck and are on your phone or talking to your friends, there’s an even bigger chance that you might end up in a motoring accident that involves the truck. As a basic defensive driving technique, make sure you avoid any kind of distractions in the car.
The last thing we want is to end up in an accident on the road involving a truck, especially if we have friends and family members in the back. We hope that these tips have been helpful to you and wish you safe travels anytime you’re behind the wheel.
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