Most severe truck accidents happen because of blind spots. The sheer size and weight of trucks create huge blind spots on the front, back, and the sides, making it a lot harder for the drivers to spot other road users.
If you’re not able to see the driver of the truck in the side-view mirror of their vehicle, then there’s a very high chance they can’t see you as well. When a 75,000-pound rig is changing lanes, for example, and you’re in its blind spot, know that a crash with it could be catastrophic.
Truck accident attorneys typically know exactly what to do in case something like this happens, which is why it’s always a good idea to get in touch with them if you’re considering filing a claim.
The Types of Blind Spots
Large commercial vehicles have many significant blind spots. The three main kinds include:
Side No-Zone
Truck blind spots are more hazardous when on the sides. The blind spot found on the truck’s right side can sometimes run down the whole length of the vehicle. Because of this massive blind spot, the driver of a passenger car always tries to pass such trucks on their left side. While there’s also a blind spot there, truck operators usually expect other road users to pass them from there.
Front No-Zone
Because the driver of a truck often sits in an elevated cab, they usually can’t see objects or vehicles that are right in front of them. If you get too close to the truck’s front end, the truck’s hood may block the driver from properly seeing you. This particular blind spot can extend to around 20 feet. Merging directly might put you at a high risk of causing an accident.
Rear No-Zone
This truck blind spot can extend to more than 180 feet from the truck’s back end. When other road users follow a commercial truck too closely, it can be hard for the operator of the truck to clearly see them. Therefore, it is crucial that you keep enough space behind the truck so the driver can spot you coming in their side mirrors.
The Characteristics of Truck Blind Spots
All motor vehicles have blind spots. However, those who drive passenger cars can easily turn and look out the window to negate their blind spot. The rearview mirror on a passenger vehicle also helps reduce the blind spots the driver has to endure.
One of the main factors that makes the blind spot of a truck bigger than that of a normal passenger car is the fact that the average length of a commercial truck typically spans around 75 feet. This, in turn, creates a huge space of limited, even poor, visibility. Trucks with 3 trailers can sometimes be over 100 feet long, making such vehicles one of the worst blind spots to have on the road.
Commercial trucks are also way taller than passenger vehicles, so when the operator of the truck is seated in their elevated cab, it gets harder to spot other low-riding road users that are either directly beside or in front of them. There is a high chance that this situation would lead to underride accidents, a horrible type of accident when a vehicle (typically a car) is crushed in the space under the trailer. These types of accidents are very deadly.
Furthermore, commercial vehicles can’t check their blind spots using a rearview mirror because they typically don’t have one.
There are many different things that can cause a blind spot truck collision. However, these accidents usually occur because the driver can’t see the other motorists turning or changing lanes.
