drive
Because size Matters
How to safely drive alongside big trucks
and other commercial vehicles
By Mark richarDson
this winter?
Always remember: the larger the
vehicle, the greater the challenge of
driving near it. Commercial vehicles
mean more slush spraying on your
windshield, more snow blowing in the
air and less visibility for everyone.
But with the right attitude and some
healthy respect for big trucks and
buses, you can stay safe on the road
this season, says Kevin Hope, training
lead of automotive services at CAA
Manitoba.
“When you’re behind a large
commercial vehicle, give yourself
at least a four-second following
distance,” Hope says. You can estimate
the correct distance by noting when
the vehicle in front passes a certain
point, like a lamp standard or road
sign, and counting down the seconds
until you reach that same point. The
old counting trick of one Mississippi,
two Mississippi, three Mississippi,
Driving the highway
four Mississippi should ensure a
reasonable distance.
“The bigger the vehicle, the larger
its blind spots. Buses, semi-trailers,
big trucks—they’re going to have a
lot more blind spots than a regular
vehicle. Give them lots of room,” Hope
adds. “When you’re passing, you want
to get past them as quickly as possible.
But if you can’t see the driver’s face
in your outside mirror when you’re
passing, he can’t see you either.”
When approaching a large vehicle
that’s driving toward you, keep a firm
grip on the steering wheel. “At high-
way speed, they create air turbulence
and they can throw up blowing snow,”
he says.
Be mindful at intersections too:
“A bus or larger vehicle often goes
right a little bit to turn left—or left a
little to turn right,” Hope says. “Your
best bet: Don’t get in between them at
turns, especially right turns. Drivers
sometimes see space on that right side,
but do not make the mistake of trying
to get in there!”
If you’re on a multi-lane highway, it’s
always safest to pass another vehicle
on its left because the right side has
larger blind spots for a driver. Driving
instructors call the left side of any
vehicle its “view side,” while the right
side is known as the “blind side.”
When you’re driving on multi-lane
highways and a large vehicle is merging
ahead, you should move over a lane
to allow it to drive smoothly into your
vacated space. If the lane alongside
isn’t open, slow down or speed up to
make sure there’s enough room for
that merging truck or bus. Always
remember that larger vehicles take
longer to accelerate and brake.
As Hope notes, a large truck may
not always have the right of way, but
you should always respect its “right
of weight.”
cAA MANITOBA
wINTer 2018
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