Do You Know How To Share The Road With A Big Rig?

Most children are thrilled when they see a big truck on the highway. The size of the wheels and the truck's powerful rumble are a wonder to small eyes and ears. It's no surprise that so many little ones want to grow up to be truck drivers.
Adults, though, aren't always so happy to see a large truck approach. Even the most confident drivers may feel uncomfortable when they find themselves encountering a big rig.
There are, however, ways you can safely share the road with trucks. Learn them and you'll likely be more comfortable on the highway – at ease with even the largest 18-wheeler.
A Little Knowledge Could Save Your Life
The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration indicates that in almost three out of four fatal accidents involving a truck and one or more vehicles, the mishap is caused by a vehicle other than the truck. So it's essential that you're aware of ways to make your drive a safer one. According to John Deere Transportation Insurance, if car drivers know and live by the following, the frequency of accidents will be reduced:

Exit behind trucks. Slowing down and exiting or turning behind a truck – or any other vehicle – won't increase your drive time by more than a few moments. Speeding up to make it to an exit first might save you a few seconds, but that action increases the probability of an accident. It may force you to cut off the other driver, removing his or her cushion of safety – and your own.
Always pass a truck on the left side. Passing any vehicle – especially a truck – on the right is like asking for an accident.
Don't linger while passing. If you don't pull ahead quickly when passing, your position makes it impossible for a trucker to take evasive action if an obstacle appears in the road ahead.
Realize that large vehicles may be moving faster than they appear. Many accidents occur at intersections because a car driver underestimates the speed of an approaching truck.
Respect a trucker's blind spots. Many motorists falsely assume that truckers can see the road better because they sit twice as high as the driver of a car. While truckers do enjoy a better forward view and have bigger mirrors, they still have serious blind spots. A car can disappear from view up to 20 feet in front of the cab, on either side of the tractor-trailer (particularly alongside the cab), and up to 200 feet in the rear. Remember that if you can't see the truck driver in his or her side mirror, the driver can't see you.
Don't tailgate. Tailgating takes away your own cushion of safety.
Observe a truck's turn signals. Due to the length of their vehicles, tractor-trailer drivers must often swing out to the left as the first step in making a right turn.
Remember that it takes truckers more time to accelerate, to brake, and to change lanes. A loaded tractor-trailer with hot brakes that is traveling 55 miles per hour may need up to 430 feet to come to a complete stop. A passenger car needs less than 200 feet to do the same. And a car can complete a lane change in mere seconds, while a trucker must employ a more detailed and time-consuming lane-change process.

Use Your Turn Signals and Your Patience
Drivers of all types of vehicles should use their often-neglected turn signals to indicate upcoming turns and lane changes. The signals should be checked periodically to ensure that they work properly. And every motorist should realize that driving always requires one's full attention, says Bill Hudgins, editorial director of Road King magazine, a national publication for professional truck drivers. Hudgins says drivers who can't wait to engage in another activity, such as eating, fixing hair, or reading a newspaper have caused many accidents. "Along with courtesy," he explains, "patience is perhaps the greatest virtue for any driver."