A 3-minute lesson from the Missouri course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Trucks are not large cars. A loaded tractor-trailer can weigh 80,000 pounds, accelerates slowly, needs much more room to stop and has large blind spots. Give trucks space, and never cut one off.
The blind spots on each side, in the rear and in front of a truck or bus where a car can't be seen. Don't drive there except when absolutely necessary.
It takes longer to pass a truck. After passing, don't re-enter the lane until you can see the truck's cab in your rearview mirror. Keep your speed, signal, and don't slow down in front of it.
Because of its size, a tractor-trailer often looks slower than it really is. Many car-truck crashes happen at intersections when drivers misjudge how close or fast a truck is.
A tractor-trailer ahead signals a right turn but drifts left. Don't try to pass on the right: it's swinging wide to make the turn. Stay behind it until the turn is complete.
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.
What is the informal term for the blind spots around a truck or bus where an automobile cannot be seen?
The Danger Ring
The Blind Belt
The Shadow Zone
The No-Zone
Answer: The No-Zone
The blind spots on the sides, rear, and front of large trucks and buses are called the 'No-Zone.'
