SHARING THE ROAD WITH HEAVY VEHICLES

You dont have to be told there are a lot of trucks on the road. But do you always drive or ride with trucks in mind? Trucks come in all shapes and sizes, and handle differently from cars. This presentation gives you some points about travelling on the roads with trucks Heavy vehicles are large and slow and not very manouverable. Overtaking these vehicles can be dangerous. The rear trailer can often obstruct vision of the road ahead and can sway side to side over the road. Other drivers may get impatient and overtake when they have no view of the road ahead

Almost every product that you use, at some time was carried on a truck!

Fatal crashes involving heavy vehicles

Australia, 12 month rolling total -Ten years ended March 2008
Each point shows the number of fatal crashes in the preceding 12 months

Fatal Crashes Involving Heavy Vehicles

Stopping Distances
Trucks are bigger and heavier than cars so they take longer to stop safely.

Vehicle Speed

Car
(Stopping Distance )

Truck
(Stopping Distance)

60km/h
70 km/h 80 km/h
90 km/h

73m
91m 111m 133m 157m

83m
105m 130m 156m 185m

100 km/h

Stopping Distances
Dont cut in front of a truck as it is slowing down to stop (for example at traffic lights) because you may not leave enough room for it to pull up

 A blind spot is where you as a driver lose sight of the vehicles around you Know where a truck drivers blind spots are: - beside the trucks left door - directly behind the truck for quite a distance - immediately in front of the truck If you cannot see the truck driver in the trucks mirror, then the truck driver cannot see you Get clear of a truck drivers blind spots as soon as you can. Move to a position well in front of or behind the truck, where the driver can see you

Blind Spots

Blind Spots
A truck driver has to rely solely on the rear vision mirrors to see to the rear. The blind spot in these mirrors is greater than for cars.

Blind Spots

Turning Trucks
Because trucks are bigger than cars, they take up more space turning, so keep a safe distance away and give them room to move

Some trucks need extra space at corners, intersections and roundabouts. If they are over 7.5 metres long they have DO NOT OVERTAKE TURNING VEHICLE signs, and may need two lanes to make their turn
The DO NOT OVERTAKE TURNING VEHICLE SIGN fitted to the rear of trucks and trailers allows the truck to legally turn from the second or third lane from the kerb if needed to safely get around the corner
Dont overtake on the inside of a turning truck which displays these signs

Turning Trucks
Trucks moving wide to make a turn is not an invitation for cars to cut down the side of the truck, and if you move into this space inside the turning vehicle you may be in a blind spot often to the left and rear of the truck cab At smaller roundabouts a truck may require both lanes to get through the roundabout. Leave space for the truck

Turning Trucks

Avoid moving into the highlighted areas when the driver of a truck has indicated an intention to turn

Turning Trucks

Overtaking Trucks
Slow down until you can see the driver in the truck mirrors. This means the driver knows you are there Keep your distance until it is safe to overtake Avoid cutting in too closely in front of a truck after you pass Wait until you see the whole of the truck in your rear vision mirror, otherwise, the truck may not have room to stop suddenly if the need arises

Trucks With An Oversize Load

If a car or 4WD vehicle approaches you carrying the "OVERSIZE LOAD AHEAD" sign be prepared to move over, slow down and stop, since following close behind will be a truck that is some combination of very long, high, wide or heavy. The pilot vehicle escorting this over-size truck may even flag you down and warn you to pull off the road as the truck requires the whole road width

Use caution when approaching vehicles with these signs.

Long Trucks
If a truck has a LONG VEHICLE sign, it may be up to 26 metres long. These vehicles will take longer to overtake and need a lot more space to stop safely. Be sure you have a lot of space before you overtake. The whole of the front of the truck and a little space around it should be visible in your rear vision mirror before you move back into the lane in front of it.

These vehicles take longer to overtake and need more room to stop.

Long Trucks
It takes about 25 seconds to overtake a large truck on the open road. Thats a long time if you are on the wrong side of the road Allow for the trucks increasing speed on the downhill run if you overtake at or near a crest.

Be sure to leave the truck enough room when moving back in front
Ease back on your speed when a truck is overtaking you Always check the trucks indicators. If it is about to change lanes or turn, wait for another opportunity

Pick-ups and Deliveries

Many trucks are on the road to do pick-ups and deliveries and need to enter or leave driveways, roads or loading docks. Be patient when trucks have to back into a spot. Most drivers do this skilfully and as quickly as safety allows Loading Zones and Truck Zones are provided for trucks to use when making pick-ups and deliveries Leaving these areas clear allows truck drivers to make their pickups and deliveries safely, quickly and efficiently

Pick-ups and Deliveries

Remember: The blind spot for a truck increases when it is turning.

Trucks Can Be Slow

We all know that at times trucks can be slow. They can be slow off the mark after a stop, slow when merging into traffic, and slow when going up hill Give a truck driver a break on up-hill runs, where keeping up momentum is important Never cut in front of a truck and force the driver to slow down. It can take five gear changes to regain the lost momentum Give the truck driver space to overtake you if it will help the truck maintain its speed

Remember
Know where a truck drivers blind spots are and dont stay in them any longer than necessary Trucks need more room to stop, so dont cut in front of them. Trucks need a lot of space to turn, so give them plenty of room Keep away from the passenger side of left turning trucks. Be patient, always follow at a safe distance and take extra care so as the truck driver sees you