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Roadway
Facts • About
Big Trucks • Avoiding
Common Mistakes
Alabama Trucking
Association
http://www.alabamatrucking.org/sharetheroad/default.htm
ATA's Share the Road campaign is designed to teach the public how
to drive safely around large commercial vehicles so that private
and commercial traffic can coexist on the highway with courtesy
and respect.
Roadway
Facts
According to the U.S. Department
of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration:
- In 1994, there were more
than 250,000 accidents involving at least one passenger vehicle
and one large truck.
- The National Highway and
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates more than 71%
of fatal crashes involving cars and big trucks are caused by
the automobile driver.
- According to tests of drivers
in accidents involving tractor-trailers, only 4 percent of truck
drivers were found to be legally intoxicated, compared with
19.4% of automobile drivers.
- Trucking is getting safer.
Miles traveled by big trucks increased 37.5 percent between
1984 and 1994, but the fatal accident rate dropped 34 percent.
In 1994, the rate of fatalities has declined to 2.7 per 100,000,000
miles of travel in 1994, compared with 4.1 in 1985.
About
Big Trucks
Fully loaded, a tractor-trailer
may weigh as much as 80,000 pounds and can be over 65 feet long.
This significantly affects their on-road capabilities:
Brakes. At 55 mph,
a car can usually stop within 130 to 140 feet. A loaded big rig
can take 190 to 200 feet to stop, or as much as 450 feet if its
brakes are hot from repeated use.
Acceleration. Because
of their weight, big rigs take longer to reach cruising speed
than passenger vehicles. This obviously makes it more difficult
for a trucker to climb hills or rapidly move from lane to lane.
Visibility. Tractor-trailers
have large blind spots in the rear, on both sides and even in
front of the cab. The rear blind spot can be 200 feet deep; on
the sides, it can extend past the end of the trailer and in front,
it can be as far as 20 feet.
Maneuverability. Big
rigs need extra room to make turns. Drivers often move to the
left to make a right turn. Also, on multi-lane roads truckers
prefer the middle lane because it gives them more maneuvering
options in case of an emergency ahead. Cars can swerve or duck
trouble more readily than a large truck.
Avoiding
Common Mistakes
Don't cut off a truck or
pass and then cut back in front and slow down suddenly. Both
actions increase the risk of rear-end collisions. Remember, the
truck can't stop as fast as you can.
Don't tailgate or "draft"
behind a big rig. The trucker likely won't know you're behind
him and you can't see what's happening ahead. If he stops suddenly,
you could rear-end the truck. A rule of thumb, seen more and more
on the backs of trailers, is "If you can't see the driver in his
side mirror, he can't see you."
Similarly, don't linger
beside a truck. Pass quickly on the left and put plenty of
room between you and the rig before you re-enter the lane. Do
not pass or hang out on the right side, as the blind spot is bigger
there. Some trucks are equipped with devices that sense the presence
of another vehicle in the blind spots, but this technology is
still rare in the field.
Don't try to go around
a truck that is making a turn.
Don't block lanes.
Keep up with the traffic flow.
Practice the Golden Rule.
Exercise common courtesy for all other drivers. Let them into
traffic from entrance ramps or other lanes. Signal lane changes.
If someone makes a mistake or drives aggressively, take three
deep breaths and let them go on.
*
SOURCE: TravelSpots
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