Everyone wants to feel safe when driving, and passengers want to know that safety measures have been taken. However, decisions made daily can make roads more dangerous than they should be, such as tailgating. Tailgating is a dangerous practice where a truck drives close enough to the vehicle in front of it to be unsafe. This is especially dangerous when the truck is a large one, as heavier vehicles require more time to stop. It is crucial to ensure that all drivers and passengers are aware of the potential dangers of tailgating and take necessary steps to ensure their safety.
Types of trucks you may encounter while driving include cement trucks, tanker trucks, rigid trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailer trucks, grain transporters, livestock transporters, and other heavy-duty trucks for safety.
Truck drivers often face pressure to quickly transport freight to maintain costs, pay, and even maintain employment. However, this pressure can lead to bad driving practices, such as rushed driving and tailgating. Commercial trucks are heavy and require significant space for safe stops. Drivers often overlook this when entering a lane in front of a large truck without leaving enough space.
Safety-conscious truck drivers maintain a safe distance between their truck and the vehicle ahead, but heavy traffic or limited open roads may make it difficult to maintain a safe driving distance. In such cases, cautious drivers may stay in one lane and let other drivers handle lane changes (Truckersearch).
Why tailgating is dangerous
Tailgating trucks can reduce wind resistance, reducing gas mileage but this practice can cause potential accidents. Truckers have a blind spot behind their trailers and may not realize someone is drafting until it’s too late. It’s crucial for truckers to be aware of tailgating and avoid accidents to avoid potential harm.
Following a truck too closely can result in a deadly rear-end collision, and the other car’s occupants frequently don’t have enough protection, which can cause serious or even death injuries. Since some drivers may discover how to prevent rear-end collisions too late to rescue themselves or their passengers, this heartbreaking lesson emphasizes how important it is to understand how to avoid them early on.
Safe tips for tailing large trucks
To prevent a deadly rear-end crash with a large truck, avoid following the truck too closely and tailgating. Allow extra room between your vehicle and the truck, and follow the rule that if you cannot see the driver in their side mirror, the driver cannot see you. Tailgating a slow truck is not worth the risk, as it may not allow time to avoid the collision. Also, avoid driving in the truck’s blind spots, as large trucks have several large blind spots where the truck driver is unable to see other vehicles.
