Situation Surrounding Truck Safety And Wide Turns

It is well known that handling semi-trailers and 18-wheelers is difficult and thus require special training. Due to the additional length and weight, these types of vehicles need a much wider turning radius which leads to especially large blind spots. Because of this, wide turns significantly heighten the likelihood of collisions which in turn leads to an increased risk of personal injury. Most cities in Ontario are even more demanding of truck drivers due to the lack of space along turns and the increase in traffic density.

Statistics

When a wide turning larger truck collides with a smaller vehicle, the consequences can be severe. While the portion of crashes which involve larger vehicles is beyond 10%, according to Transport Canada they also make up 21% of fatalities which are extremely disconcerting and should already be enough for you to act with caution in the future.

Understanding Wide Turns

To help you lower the risk of potential future collisions with a large truck, you will need to obtain more knowledge regarding wide turns. Truck drivers make these wide turns out of necessity. Given the length of their vehicle, they need quite a lot of added space which forces them to move into the neighboring lane. Before a right turn, the truck will swing out to the left, and before a left turn, it will swing to the right. Keep that in mind as you navigate the road in the future, be it in a car, on a bicycle or motorcycle, or simply on your feet.

Always Be Cautious Around A Wide Turning Truck

Adding on to the previous section, there are other things you should keep in mind as you go about your way near a wide turning truck. If you are on a motorcycle or bicycle, or even just walking, and stop beside a truck, you should definitely keep in mind that the truck driver most likely doesn’t even know you are there. Their blind spot is much bigger than that of other vehicles and for you to remain safe, you will have to be the one to watch out and think ahead. And just in case you are in an accident with a truck, contact a personal injury lawyer in Trenton.
You can be additionally safe by simply staying away from a tuck’s right side by keeping several feet of space between it and yourself. As a pedestrian, you should also move out of the way when a truck is about to make a turn at an intersection. Oftentimes, the trailer will make its way up onto the curb as it swings and you definitely do not want to be in the way as that happens.