Q and A part 1

A question was recently posed to me about what to do if you are in a trucks blind spot and they start to move over.  The answer(s) is simple and yet somewhat complex.  Actually, though, there are at least 4 answers to that question, in my opinion.  I will   list them in the order I believe would be most important to least important, depending on the situation.

1)      Don’t travel in the trucks blind spots.

This is the most effective way of avoiding an accident with the truck and really needs no further explaining.  I.E. if you ain’t there they can’t hit you.

2)      Adjust your position by either;

a.       Speeding up

b.      Slowing down

c.       Changing lanes

This is most effective when you are on the open road and there are minimal amounts of traffic around. However, if you are in rush hour traffic, getting out of the way might not always be feasible.

3)      Honk your horn

Effective, but, not very effective.  Inside the cab of a semi and be noisy. Most of the trucks that I have been in have air leaks in various places. Crack your drivers side window sometime and listen to the noisy air blowing by your ear. Now add to that the noise of a diesel engine, music from the radio and it can get noisy inside these trucks.  Most car horns are barely audible in this situation.   

4)      Flash you lights at them

During daylight, this would be of no value. At night time, flashing bright lights at a truck could result in a serious accident.  Let me explain.  Take a flash light, go shine it in your bathroom mirror and then multiply that times 3.  The reason I suggest this is because most trucks are equipped with 3 mirrors on each side.  A long mirror, a spot mirror and a hood mirror.  Flashing your bright lights at them could cause momentary blindness. Turning your headlights on and off momentarily is not recommended either. This is generally the signal given to the truck driver that it’s ok to change lanes.

The bottom line is this. You have to do whatever is safe and prudent for you to prevent being hit. Each situation is different each and every time.  You have to be ready to make a split second decision based on the scenario you are in.  No matter what situation you find yourself in, you should ALWAYS leave yourself a safe way out.

As always, let’s be safe and courteous to one another. The life you save could be your own. Happy motoring………………………….