Sharing the Road—Large Trucks and Road Safety

multiple large trucks on highway at dawn

On roadways across the United States, large trucks are everywhere. Sharing the road safely requires caution and care. Learn how you can prevent crashes and stay safer on the road with large trucks.

In 2006, more than 1,050 large trucks were involved in crashes every day, resulting in thousands of injuries and deaths. When large trucks collide with other vehicles, three out of four people injured or killed are drivers and passengers of the other vehicles, not of the trucks themselves.

Safety Around Large Trucks

It’s important for drivers who share the roads with large trucks to know how they can stay safe on the road. To help protect your safety:

Don’t cut in front of large trucks. Trucks and buses take much longer to stop, compared to cars.

Know that large trucks have blind spots, or No-Zones, all around the truck, including the front, back and sides of the truck. Remember, if you can't see the truck driver in the truck's mirror, the driver can't see you.

Use the proper procedure to pass a large truck or bus on the highway. Accelerate slightly and maintain a consistent speed while passing. Wait until you can see the entire cab in your rear-view mirror before signaling and pulling in front of it.

Be careful of trucks making wide right turns. If you try to get between a truck and the curb, you'll be caught in a "squeeze" and may be involved in a serious crash. Truck drivers sometimes need to swing wide to the left in order to safely negotiate a right turn, especially in urban areas. They can't see cars directly behind or beside them. Cutting between the truck and the curb increases the possibility of a crash. Pay attention to trucks’ signals, and give them room to maneuver.

Stay attentive while driving and focus on the road. If you need to turn your attention to something else, safely pull over in a parking lot or rest stop.

Always wear your seat belt. Buckling up is your best protection in case of a crash, especially one involving a large vehicle. Trucks require greater stopping distance and can seriously hurt you if they strike your vehicle from behind. If you are ever hit, your seat belt will keep you from hitting the steering wheel or windshield or being thrown from your car.

Safety Devices For Large Trucks

cars behind large truck on highway Petitions to require speed governors be electronically set in large trucks (weighing over 26,000 pounds) are currently under consideration by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. These petitions were filed by the American Trucking Associations and the public safety interest group, Road Safe America. Speed governors are part of the electronically controlled truck engines and limit their maximum speed. These petitions, if granted, would hold these trucks to a 68 mph maximum speed, in effort to reduce the number and severity of crashes.

According to the FMCSA Large Truck Causation Study, “traveling too fast for conditions” was the single most frequently cited factor in large truck crashes. Supporters of the petitions include the Governors Highway Safety Administration (GHSA), the insurance industry, and the private sector, who also cite fuel savings and emissions reductions as additional benefits.

Where You Can Learn More

Web-based Resources (About Large Truck Safety)

Web-based Resources (CDC Resources on Preventing Motor Vehicle Crashes)

Podcasts & Health E-cards

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Content Source: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention
Page last modified:November 17, 2008