Driver Guide

57
SHARING THE ROAD WITH LARGE TRUCKS
Trucks are not large cars.  Whether they are accelerating, braking, climbing 
a hill, switching lanes, or turning onto a side street, tractor-trailer trucks 
must perform certain maneuvers that drivers of automobiles do not.
A typical tractor-trailer combination, a power unit pulling a loaded semi-
trailer hinged to its rear end, may weigh up to 80,000 pounds.  Depending 
on the trailer length, the total length of the combination may exceed 90 
feet.  On the busiest intercity routes, a motorist may encounter double or 
even triple-trailer combinations sometimes exceeding 100 feet in length.
Any motorist who has driven behind one of these trucks at a traffic light 
knows that a semi-trailer combination accelerates slowly.  The truck may 
have to go through ten gears to reach the speed limit.  The truck may have 
two or three times more power under the hood than a car does, but with up 
to 70,000 pounds of trailer and cargo behind it, a truck engine must move 30 
or 40 times more weight than a car engine.  (Published with permission from 
John Deere Transportation Services, Sharing the Road, Deere & Co., 1996.)
To improve safety for all road users, please consider this information.
1.   Do not enter a roadway in front of a large vehicle.  Avoid changing 
lanes in front of a large vehicle if you are turning off the roadway.
2.   If you are driving behind a truck or a bus and cannot see the driver in 
his or her rearview mirrors, the driver of that vehicle cannot see you.
3.   A truck or bus has blind spots on each side, in the rear and in the front 
where an automobile cannot be seen.  These blind spots are referred 
to as the “No-Zone.”  Do not drive in the No-Zone except when 
absolutely necessary.  You should not drive alongside large vehicles 
for prolonged periods at any time.  Tailgating a truck is also dangerous.  
Leave any large vehicle a cushion of safety.
4.   It takes longer to pass a truck. After you pass, make sure you can see 
the cab of the truck in your rearview mirror before reentering the lane.  
Maintain your speed and signal when reentering the lane.  Do not slow 
down once you are in front of the truck.
5.   When traveling up or down steep grades, large vehicles must drive 
slowly in the right lane.  Avoid driving your car in the right lane going up 
or down hills on divided or multi-lane roadways when interacting with 
large trucks.  When you are near truck weigh stations, avoid driving in 
the right lane so slow-moving trucks can easily merge back onto the 
roadway.

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6.   Vehicles carrying hazardous materials must stop at all railroad 
crossings.  Be prepared.
7.   Because of their size, large trucks may swing out to the left as the first 
step in making a right turn.  When following a tractor-trailer, observe its 
turn signals before trying to pass.
8.   Tractor-trailers take longer to stop than cars traveling at the same speed.  
The average passenger car traveling at 55 mph can stop in about 130–
140 feet, almost half the length of a football field.  A fully loaded tractor-
trailer may take almost 400 feet to come to a complete stop.
9.   Cutting off a truck in traffic or on the highway is particularly dangerous. 
If you need to make a turn or lane change, take a moment to slow 
down and turn behind the truck—it will only take you a few extra 
seconds.
10.   Never underestimate the size and speed of an approaching tractor- 
trailer.  Because of its large size, a tractor-trailer often appears to be 
traveling more slowly than its actual speed.  Car-truck collisions can 
occur at intersections when the driver of the car does not realize how 
close the truck is or how quickly it is approaching. 
As soon as you step out of your vehicle, you become a pedestrian.  As 
a pedestrian, you should know your rights and responsibilities, and as a 
driver you should know the law when pedestrians are around.
AS A PEDESTRIAN, YOU SHOULD KNOW . . .
When you are facing a “WALK” signal or a 
green light, you have the right-of-way.  You 
may begin to cross the road after you 
make sure all drivers see you and stop for you.
Do not begin to cross the street when you are 
facing a “DON’T WALK” signal or a red or yellow light. 
If the flashing “DON’T WALK” sign appears 
when you are crossing the street, you may finish 
crossing the street.
You should cross the road at an intersection 
or a crosswalk when:
•   You are in a business district.
•    You are between two closely spaced intersections with traffic lights.
Otherwise, you may cross the road in the middle of the block without a 
crosswalk being careful when stepping out between two parked vehicles.  
You must yield the right-of-way to all traffic when crossing in the middle of 
a block.  Walk facing traffic when no sidewalk is available.
You should not stand in a traffic lane to speak to a driver for any length of 
time, as this could cause an crash.  Instead, you should wait for the driver 
to pull over to a safe parking spot, and you should remain on the curb side 
of the vehicle.
58
SHARING THE ROAD WITH PEDESTRIANS

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AS A DRIVER, YOU SHOULD KNOW . . .
In some situations, pedestrians are required by law to yield to vehicles. 
In other situations, vehicles are required to yield to pedestrians. In all 
situations, whether the pedestrians are obeying the law or not, you must 
drive carefully, reduce your speed if needed, and do your best to avoid 
endangering pedestrians.
Even when you are facing a green light you must yield the right-of-way to 
all pedestrians in the intersection.  Never assume you have the right-of-
way.  Do not assume pedestrians see you and will stop for you.
Do not pass a vehicle that has stopped or slowed down for a pedestrian.
Watch out for kids.  Children will run out into the road without looking for 
traffic.  So, be extra careful when you drive near schools, playgrounds, 
parks, or in residential areas.  You must obey a slower speed limit in a 
school zone when lights are flashing or children are present.  At a school 
crossing where there is a traffic patrol, stop and yield if a traffic patrol 
member signals you to do so.
The following laws or rules also apply:
•    Drivers must always yield the right-of-way to persons who are blind.  
When a pedestrian is crossing a street or highway guided by a dog or 
carrying a white cane (or a white cane with a red tip), vehicles must 
come to a complete stop.
•    Drivers must yield when a pedestrian is in a marked or unmarked 
crosswalk on or approaching their side of the road.  
•    As you prepare for a right turn, especially on a red traffic signal, be 
cautious of pedestrians (or bicyclists) approaching on your right. 
•    Drivers should not block the crosswalk when stopped at a red traffic 
signal.  Drivers should not cross a sidewalk or crosswalk without first 
yielding to pedestrians.
Some things you should know when sharing the road with mopeds or 
bicycles:
•    Most collisions with bicycles and mopeds happen at intersections, where 
smaller, slower bicycles and mopeds are especially easy to overlook.  
Scan carefully for bicycles and mopeds before proceeding through an 
intersection, giving them the same consideration you would any other 
vehicle.
•   Bicycles are often overlooked by motorists.
•    It is not always easy to judge the speed or distance of a bicycle.
•    Crashes with wrong-way bicyclists frequently occur when a motorist 
wants to turn right onto a main road and is only looking left for 
approaching traffic.  Be sure to look right and check for wrong-way 
bicyclists on the road or sidewalk before proceeding.
•    On residential streets, especially those with parked cars, travel at or 
below the speed limit.
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SHARING THE ROAD WITH MOPEDS AND BICYCLES

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