As the weather turns colder, snow, ice and freezing rain affect Minnesota road conditions. Treacherous roads make using safe driving techniques critical, especially when sharing the road with big trucks. If your car collides with a semi, the damage to you could be devastating.
According to State Farm, you can take steps that reduce the chances of an accident when driving near a commercial truck.
Leave more space
Due to size and weight, it takes longer for a semi-truck to slow down or stop than it does for a passenger vehicle. Leave a gap of at least four seconds when passing the big rig, and make sure you can see the truck, top to bottom, in your rearview mirror. If you pull in too close, the driver can’t see you because of the height differences. The extra space also allows the driver to respond to your new position and deal with the changes necessary when driving on slick roads.
Stay out of blind spots
A truck’s side mirrors can only help so much. When following a semi-truck, look for the mirrors on each side of it. If you cannot see them, the driver cannot see you and if the truck has to slow or stop unexpectedly, your chances of colliding with the trailer increases.
When roads are sloppy, keeping enough distance between you and the truck is challenging. Professional truck drivers typically drive below the posted speed limit and leave extra space between them and the vehicle ahead. If a tractor-trailer moves aggressively through traffic in poor driving conditions and you sustain injuries due to reckless driving, you may have grounds for a claim.