A 3-minute lesson from the Nevada course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Big trucks and buses can't maneuver or stop like cars, and they have huge blind spots. Most crashes between large trucks and cars are caused by the car drivers — and the people in the cars are the ones most likely to be hurt.
200,000+
Crashes between cars and commercial vehicles each year
Side no-zones: don't hang out beside trucks or buses. If you can't see the driver's face in the side mirror, the driver can't see you. The right side is doubly dangerous because trucks and buses make wide right turns.
Front no-zone: cutting in too soon after passing, then slowing, can get you rear-ended — these vehicles need nearly twice the time and distance to stop as cars. Wait until you see the whole front of the truck in your rearview mirror, then don't slow down.
Rear no-zone: avoid tailgating — the driver can't see you there and you can't see ahead. Never pass behind a truck that is backing up; the driver can't see small vehicles or people directly behind.
Wide turns: trucks and buses may swing wide left to turn right, or wide right to turn left, and can't see cars directly behind or beside them. Never try to squeeze between a turning truck and the curb.
A semi ahead signals right and drifts left toward your lane. Don't pull up on its right side — it's making a wide right turn, and the driver can't see a car squeezing along the curb.
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' around large trucks and buses refers to:
Areas where trucks are not allowed to drive
Zones where passing is always illegal
Blind spots where cars disappear from view
Designated truck parking areas
Answer: Blind spots where cars disappear from view
The no-zone is the area around trucks and buses where cars disappear into blind spots.