[Excerpted from Findit Parts]
Every year, there are hundreds of thousands of crashes involving large trucks. While statistics like this make some Americans afraid to share the road with semis, research shows that 80% of car-truck accidents are caused by car drivers.
Semi-trucks are much longer and taller than passenger vehicles, giving them sizable blind spots in front of the cab and on either side of the trailer. Avoiding these blind spots not only protects you—it also helps keep truck drivers safe, reducing the likelihood of a collision if they need to change lanes suddenly.
Semi-trucks also lack a rearview mirror, which creates another major visibility hazard. When sharing the road with semi-trucks, knowing whether or not the driver can see you is critical.
Driving in a semi-truck’s blind spot can lead to serious collisions. The fact that so few people are aware of these blind spots may help explain why 4 out of 5 car-truck crashes are caused by car drivers. Nevertheless, 65% of drivers who feel unsafe around semis blame the truck or truck driver.
Preventing collisions starts with education, but 50% of Americans believe driver’s ed failed to adequately prepare them to drive safely around semis. With so few people able to correctly identify truck blind spots, it’s clear that learning about road safety shouldn’t end in our teenage years. Closing this knowledge gap will lead to better driver awareness and, as a result, lower the chances of being involved in a dangerous crash.
Findit Parts surveyed over 1,000 adult drivers to find out what they know (and how they feel) about driving around semis. To read the full article including results of the survey, click here.
