A 4-minute lesson from the Tennessee course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Big trucks aren't just big cars. A loaded tractor-trailer can weigh 80,000 pounds and stretch over 70 feet. In truck-car crashes, the car's occupants suffer 78 percent of the deaths. Knowing a truck's limits keeps you out of harm's way.
A truck's blind spots: up to about 20 feet in front, up to 200 feet behind, and large areas on both sides. If you can't see the truck's mirrors, the driver can't see you.
If a truck driver blinks the headlights after you pass, it's a signal you're clear to pull in. When a truck passes you, keep to the far side of your lane and slow slightly — never speed up.
Never cross behind a truck preparing to back up, and don't follow trucks hauling hazardous materials closely — they stop often, as at railroad crossings.
On steep grades, smoking wheels or a high speed can mean a truck has lost its brakes — fall back and don't pass. Never stop or park on a runaway truck ramp.
On the interstate you're about to pass a tractor-trailer before your exit. Rather than cutting in front of it and braking for the ramp, slow down a few seconds and exit behind it.
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.
If you cannot see a truck driver's side mirrors, this generally means:
You are safely out of the No-Zone
You are following at a safe distance
The truck driver cannot see you either
The truck's mirrors need adjusting
Answer: The truck driver cannot see you either
If you can't see the truck's side mirrors, the truck driver cannot see you — you are likely in a No-Zone.
