No-zones refers to the areas around a vehicle which you should avoid, or bar avoidance, maintain extra vigilance. Every vehicle has a series of no-zones, but tractor-trailer trucks are notorious for the size of their no-zones and their dangers. Semi-trucks are large, lumbering beasts that can easily crush most passenger cars. It is thus crucial that you proceed cautiously around these vehicles when you interact with them on the road.
There are four no-zones around semi-trucks: the front, rear, side, and when they make turns. The front of the truck is a no-zone because semi-trucks need several football field lengths before they can come to a complete stop. Thus, passenger cars should give these trucks wide berth when merging in front of them.
The rear and side of the trucks refer to the lack of visibility for the truck driver. Tractor-trailer sits up high and tow trailers thus their mirrors are much larger and stick further out from the vehicle. The larger mirrors that are set further from the truck are necessary to give the driver some ability to see behind them. But, that also means that objects that are beside the truck on either side are missed by the mirror. Additionally, no matter how good the mirrors are, they cannot capture cars that are directly behind (usually around 50 feet) behind the tractor-trailer. Thus, most safety experts recommend that passenger cars avoid driving next to and behind semi-trucks.
Finally, semi-trucks take wide turns. You have probably seen those signs on the back wheels of the trucks. Those are not for show. Semi-trucks take very wide turns and many passenger vehicles, turning left and right often miscalculate and hit trucks. Passenger cars are advised to wait until the truck completes its turn before attempting their own.
Were you injured in a truck accident? If you were, you should contact a lawyer at your earliest convenience. Many truck accidents result in severe head injuries and other long-term injuries. A lawyer can help you secure a fair settlement to pay your future medical bills. Government programs are often insufficient to pay your expenses. Therefore, settlement or judgment is the best and often only way to secure sufficient monies for your medical bills.
