Can That Truck Driver See You?

Most people don’t realize it, but large trucks and tractor-trailers have a serious design flaw. The truck’s height and length create a massive blind spot around the vehicle. This phenomenon is so prevalent that we even have a name for it: “the no-zone.” Next time you’re behind a large truck, you’ll have to ask: Can that truck driver see me?

The No-Zone

When something is in a trucker’s no-zone, the truck driver cannot see it at all. Truck drivers have to be constantly vigilant about who is pulling out around them and in front of them. If they become distracted, even for a moment, they might not realize that someone is in their no-zone when they need to merge or slow down.

To help you get a better idea of the no-zone, we made this graphic.

From this, you can see that a truck’s blind spots include:

• The first 20ft in front of the hood

• The first 30ft behind the trailer

• 10ft from the cab on the driver’s side, but only for one lane.

• 20ft from the cab on the passenger side, stretching across two lanes.

Shared Responsibility

Large trucks have physical limitations that prevent drivers from seeing everything around them. That’s why drivers of smaller vehicles need to be considerate of the no-zone and try to identify these blind spots whenever they’re near a large truck.

Identifying the no-zone is only half the issue. Drivers must make an effort to stay out of the no-zone whenever possible, both while passing and merging. Next time you’re behind a large truck, remember this trucker saying: “If you can’t see my mirrors, I can’t see you.”