Blind spots

Motor carrier/
truck safety

Backing

Blind spots

Turning

Following

Passing

Driving safely around trucks: Vision Decision

Many motorists believe that truck or bus drivers can see the road better because they sit higher than the driver of a car. In fact, large vehicle drivers have serious blind spots into which a car can disappear from view.

Drawing of a truck in a rear view mirror

Side blind spot: Be careful when passing a large vehicle. If you can't see the driver's face in his or her side mirror or window, he or she can't see you and may not know you're there.

Front blind spot: When passing a large vehicle, make sure that you can see the entire front of the truck or bus in your inside rear-view mirror before you pull back in front. It takes a large vehicle twice the time and room to stop as it does a car.

Vision decision