Often people find it intimidating sharing the road with large trucks, but, it doesn’t have to be. Throughout the summer, we’re on the road more than usual making it important to practice safe driving.
Sharing the road with large trucks and driving safely this summer is possible if you practice defensive driving and avoid dangerous driving behaviour .
According to the Ontario Road Safety Annual Report, collisions involving large trucks account for 19.9% of all road fatalities. This is a staggering statistic considering many could have been prevented if drivers were less intimidated by large trucks and practiced defensive driving. Defensive Driving Online explains that large trucks spend the most time on the road compared to anyone else, “but sometimes other drivers can be guilty of forgetting to pay them the careful attention that they warrant.”
Considering the sheer size of large trucks, they put car drivers at a disadvantage, especially when it comes to collisions. However, if drivers can implement the following defensive driving techniques this summer, they have a better chance of co-existing on the road safely with large trucks.
Defensive driving techniques to implement this summer
- Follow the speed limit always.
- Always use signals when switching lanes.
- Give trucks lots of space and don’t cut them off.
- Stay vigilant to traffic conditions and avoid abrupt stops.
- Avoid changing lanes abruptly.
- Slow down to let trucks have the right of way.
- Avoid driving in a truck’s blind spot, and whenever possible don’t drive alongside them.
Avoid the following dangerous driving behaviour
Here are the most effective ways to ensure you’re driving safe. Make sure you avoid the following dangerous driving
- Not yielding for large trucks.
- Not staying in your own lane.
- Changing lanes abruptly without checking blind spots.
- Disobeying the posted speed limit and ignoring road conditions.
- Failing to obey signals, signs and what’s going on around you.
Drive safe this summer!
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