Truck Safety
Back from vacation, Sgt. Eaton saw something on his trip, that made him think of all you wonderful people who enjoy #TrafficTipTuesday
“As many of you may have noticed, last week Traffic Sergeant Eaton became Vacation Sergeant Eaton. As much as I enjoyed my time splashing around in the waves, eventually I had to make the long drive home. During my trip, I saw something that most motorists see every day. BIG trucks. And lots of them. These go by a lot of different names.
Eighteen-wheelers, big rigs, “mac” trucks. No matter what name you use, we can all exercise a little care and caution to be safe when sharing the road with them. Let’s get to it!
One of the most important safety tips for driving around these giants is to BE PATIENT! Large trucks need more time to start and to stop (more on that in a moment).
Tailgating, unsafely passing, or cutting them off is both dumb and dangerous. Driving aggressively puts both you AND the truck driver at a much greater risk.
Something to pay attention to is a truck’s mirrors. We have all seen the sticker on the back of a truck that says, “if you can’t see my mirrors, I can’t see you.” There is a very specific reason that these stickers are there. Because it is TRUE! Large trucks have much bigger blind spots than smaller cars. If you decide to tailgate, or hide in their blind spot, it becomes very difficult for the driver to see you.
Something else a large truck has that you likely do not, is a large turning radius. Big trucks need a whole lot of space to make a turn. Many times, when making a right turn, the truck may move to the left of the center line to give themselves enough room. This should not be looked at as an invitation to go zooming past. Pay attention to the trucks turn signals. Just because it moves to the left does not necessarily mean it will be staying there. Racing around a large truck that is trying to make a right turn is a fantastic way to get squished like a bug.
But what exactly is it that makes large trucks so dangerous? Well the main thing is the amount of time it takes these vehicles to stop, which is much longer than the time it takes a typical passenger vehicle. At highway speeds, a semi-truck will take (on average) close to 525 feet to come to a complete stop, which is almost double what a passenger car requires. From the moment the truck driver decides to stop until the moment the truck actually stops, the truck has travelled almost two football fields. When driving down the highway, many of us don’t think twice about passing a slow driver by zipping right in front of a truck but, if you’ve been paying attention, you know now that this is incredibly unsafe.
One of the biggest things that contribute to a trucks inability to stop quickly is phenomenon known as “brake lag.” Rather than using hydraulic brakes (like most cars do), the majority of large trucks are equipped with air brakes. You can think of air brakes like the garden hose attached to the back of your house. When you turn on the house to water your azaleas, there is usually a brief delay before the water get to the end of the hose. Air brakes are the same way. When a truck drive applies the brakes, it takes a brief moment for sufficient air pressure to build up so the truck can begin braking. A truck driver can’t just ‘slam on the brakes’ the way a car can.
Long story short, when you find yourself cruising down the road in the company of large trucks, pay attention to their mirrors, don’t be in a hurry to cut in front, and PLEASE, do what you can to maintain a safe distance. When it comes to motor vehicle crashes, remember, whoever has the most lug nuts on their tires wins!
As always, if you have a question or concern, please leave it in the comments below. Also, if you have a specific concern with unsafe driving in your area, such as speeding, drag racing, etc., give us a call, send an email, or reach out on social media. Until next week, slow down, pay attention, wear your seatbelt, and drive safely
HCSO Main Line – 410.838.6600
Northern Precinct – 410.692.7880
Southern Precinct – 410.612.1717
HCSO Traffic Unit – 443.409.3324
traffictiptuesday@harfordsheriff.org
@hcsotrafficsgt on Instagram”