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Maximize Road Safety by Recognizing These Semi-Truck Blind Spots

It’s no secret that semi-trucks are massive vehicles. As we mentioned in our last article, the average semi-truck clocks in at 70 feet long, 8+ feet wide, 13+ feet tall, and can reach up to 80,000 lbs. if the trailer is fully loaded. Compare that to the average car, truck, van, or SUV, and you instantly realize the major size differences.

Because a semi-truck is so large and long, the experience of driving one differs significantly from driving your standard vehicle. Accelerating, braking, turning, merging, and everything in between require much more effort and room than what most drivers are used to. That’s why the law requires specialized training and licensing to operate one. Semi-truck drivers must obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to ensure they are prepared to handle all the differences.

When you’re sharing the road with a semi-truck, it’s easy to forget just how differently a truck driver has to approach the road than you. One of the most ignored but dangerous elements other drivers forget about semi-trucks is their blind spots.

To help stay safe on the road and avoid accidents or dangerous scenarios with a semi-truck, keep these blind spots in mind:

Semi Truck Blind Spots

The Front of the Semi-Truck

A semi-truck driver’s seat is about 6 feet off the ground – which makes the eye line roughly 9-10 feet off the ground – and looks out over a hood that is, on average, 68 inches, or 5 feet 8 inches. Between the elevation and the length of the hood, the driver has a large, unavoidable blind spot to deal with right in front of them.

The blind spot in front of a semi-truck extends from the grill to 20 feet ahead of the truck, or about the length of an average pickup truck. Everything within that span is considered a danger zone since the truck driver cannot see this area at all.

How to Avoid This Blind Spot

It can be easy to find yourself in the 20-foot range in front of a truck, especially in conditions like bumper-to-bumper traffic. But, whether the traffic is light or heavy, try to avoid this area for your safety and the safety of the truck driver. Be aware of your surroundings, and if a truck is behind you and approaching so that you end up in this danger zone, merge when it is safe. If a truck is behind you and so close that you cannot see their headlights in your rearview, speed up or merge out of the way safely.

The Back of a Semi Truck

For obvious reasons, a semi-truck does not have a rearview mirror and cannot monitor the activity happening behind the trailer.

The blind spot behind the semi-truck covers 30 feet from the back of the trailer, or about one and one half pickup trucks. If you are tailing a semi-truck or anywhere within that 30-foot span, the driver cannot see you and likely does not know you are there.

It is never wise to tailgate anyone on any road going any speed, but following too closely to the car in front of you on the highway is especially dangerous. Traffic slows or stops often, and slowing down can be hard to do safely when you are traveling at accelerated speeds. It is too easy to miss the cues and rear-end the person in front of you.

And rear-ending a car, truck, or SUV is one thing. Rear-ending a semi-truck is an entirely different and much more severe incident. Semi-trucks have trailers that sit 4 feet off the ground, while the average SUV sits anywhere between 6 to 8 inches off the ground. Smaller cars can have even less ground clearance. For many, rear-ending a semi-truck can involve the hood of your car going under the truck and your windshield slamming into the bottom of the trailer, resulting in severe injury or even death for you or your passengers.

How to Avoid This Blind Spot

The easiest and most applicable answer is never, ever to tailgate a semi-truck. Ever. Even in bumper-to-bumper traffic, keep your distance and maintain at least three car lengths between yourself and the truck in front of you. If a truck merges in front of you, allow your car to slow down and then maintain the same speed as the truck, or you can merge into another lane if it is safe.

The Left Side of the Semi-Truck

If you are on the left side of the semi-truck, the driver will have difficulty spotting you if you are just behind the cab or halfway down the trailer.

The truck’s mirrors often miss this area of the truck, and the driver cannot simply turn and look out of the window to see if you’re there. If you are in this area, it is possible for the driver to not realize your presence and begin to merge. If that occurs and you cannot get their attention or merge out of the way yourself, you could end up in a dangerous accident.

How to Avoid This Blind Spot

To avoid this blind spot, pass a semi-truck on the left side as quickly as possible. If a truck driver passes you on your right in such a way that you are now in their blind spot, slow down just enough to get out of it or merge into the left lane, if possible. If there is no lane to merge into, use your judgment to either speed up or slow down while still following speed limits and road safety rules.

The Right Side of the Semi-Truck

The right side of the semi-truck is statistically the worst blind spot for a truck driver. There are no windows to use except the passenger window. All the driver has to depend on is the right side mirror to see if a car is in that area or not.

The blind spot spans across the immediate adjacent lane and goes into lane number two. To visualize, take a look at the following bullet. If X is the truck, the two blocks to the right are the two lanes that are in the driver’s blind spot:

  • |X| |  |

For lane #1 (the one directly to the right of the truck), the blind spot spans from the truck’s cab to about halfway down the trailer. For lane #2 (the second lane from the truck), the blind spot spans from the front of the trailer and goes all the way down past the trailer’s tail end.

An easy trick to know if you’re in this blind spot or not is to quickly check if you can see the driver directly or at least see them in their side mirror. If you can’t see them, they cannot see you.

How to Avoid This Blind Spot

You can avoid this blind spot by slowing down and merging to either be behind the semi-truck or to the left of it. If traffic allows, you can also speed up and pass the truck while still following road safety rules and speed limits.

If you are ever involved in a semi-truck accident, turn to the expert attorneys at Clark, Smith & Sizemore.

Semi-truck blind spots are often a factor in tractor-trailer accidents. If you find yourself in an accident with a semi-truck, talk to our personal injury attorneys at Clark, Smith & Sizemore. We will thoroughly investigate your case and fiercely represent you in the fight for justice. Call us today for a free consultation: 478-254-5040.

Thank you for checking out part 4 of our 6-part series on semi-truck accidents. Stay tuned for our upcoming articles: