A 3-minute lesson from the Kansas course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Trucks and buses are less maneuverable, have huge blind spots, need longer to stop and speed up, and need more room to turn. In most fatal car-truck crashes, the car driver contributed, so most of the safety is up to you.
Side No-Zones are much bigger than a car's, especially on the right side, from behind the cab up to the length of the truck. If you can't see the driver's face in their side mirror, they can't see you.
Don't pull out or change lanes in front of a large vehicle. After passing one, wait until you see its whole front in your rearview mirror before moving over, and keep your speed.
You're following a semi and can't see its mirrors. You're in its rear No-Zone, which can extend 200 feet. Drop back until you can see the driver's side mirrors, which also lets you see farther ahead.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
The 'No-Zone' refers to:
An area where trucks cannot legally drive at any time
A designated truck-only lane
A zone where passing is always illegal
Blind spot areas around large trucks and buses
Answer: Blind spot areas around large trucks and buses
The No-Zone describes the blind spots on the sides, front, and rear of large vehicles where other vehicles vanish from the driver's view.
In more than 70% of fatal crashes between cars and commercial vehicles, police report that:
Weather was the primary cause
The truck driver was at fault
The car driver contributed to the cause of the crash
Mechanical failure was the cause
Answer: The car driver contributed to the cause of the crash
The handbook notes that in over 70% of fatal car/commercial-vehicle crashes, the car driver contributed to the crash, underscoring the need for caution around large vehicles.
