13 Mar FOUR RULES FOR SHARING THE ROAD WITH HEAVY VEHICLES
Four Rules for Sharing the Road with Heavy Vehicles
All road users need to take extra care and be aware of heavy vehicles. A heavy vehicle can range from a truck, bus, semi-trailer, livestock transporter, cement truck, road train, oversize vehicle, and more. A crash involving a heavy vehicle is more likely to cause serious injury or death because of its size, weight, and length.
Here are four general rules to help you stay safe when sharing the road with heavy vehicles:
Do not cut in front
Cutting in front of a heavy vehicle can be extremely dangerous. Heavy vehicle drivers have certain limitations when it comes to accelerating and slowing down. By cutting in front, you may not give them enough time to slow down safely, potentially resulting in a crash.
Give space when turning
Heavy vehicles may need to take up more than one lane when turning at intersections and roundabouts. Make sure you give them enough room and never put your vehicle in the path of a large vehicle when turning – you might be crushed. Stay behind and wait.
Don’t pull in front at traffic lights
When a heavy vehicle is approaching a traffic light that’s changing to red, do not pull in front of it – it may not be able to stop in time and may cause an accident.
Be aware of their blind spots
Due to their size and length, heavy vehicles have larger blind spots than an average vehicle. This means a heavy vehicle may not be able to see your vehicle, so take care when driving next to or behind a heavy vehicle and stay out of their blind spot as much as possible.
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