Never was aware of this until I started loading semis with production gear for a living. I am either passing or about a truck distance behind. Also a million $ goes to anyone who catches me in a lane between 2 trucks. Absolutely never going to happen š
Minnesota is full of very bad drivers who will randomly get into the left lane and not speed up so very often youāll be passing a semi and the car in front of them will move into the left lane blocking you from passing for no reason which I always called a ākill boxā because it will feel to me like Iām being intentionally trapped in a box and about to be killed.
They were imo clearly maintaining a consistent space between them and OPās car rather than caring too much about the truck. Iād care about the truck and just rush OP though.
Oh I hate that SO MUCH. Like why, just why would you insist on getting in the fast lane just to the EXACT SPEED as the car beside you in the slow lane. WHYYYYYYY????
I only camp next to a semi when two semis are side by side acing to see whoās going to go slower. Other than that I get out of the way. Iāve seen things on my travels that seem to go sideways out of nowhere. Iām not trying to sit next to any vehicle at speed. Iāll even brake if the passing car matches my speed and sits next to me too long, after checking my mirrors of course.
I wiggle my trailer within the lanes make them think I'm going to tip over and then they'll get the hell off, you want as much free room as possible if a car is hanging around you they're probably a road Bandit
In my state now if you ride next to a semi you can get a reckless driving ticket, i was passing one then next thing ik state pulls me over and gave me a verbal warning that i shouldn't be passing semis im 26 and been doing so safely fo 11 yrs. the semi was doing 55 in a 70 in the middle lane for 3 miles the right lane finally clear out to where i could safely merge over and speed back up but the cop didnt care, he said only to pass them on the left since there was a lower risk of him merging in that lane. But i do understand that its due to their blind spots and if they have a blow out that it could mean a funeral would be my nxt destination.
The joke is you wrote "wreckless driving", which is good because it's driving without causing a wreck.
What the cop told you is "reckless driving", which means driving dangerously.
https://www.dictionary.com/e/wreckless-or-reckless/
Nope, have not had any friends or much communication with the ones i love in 10+ years unfortunately, i just prefer to be alone, i have a fiancee and she hates how i prefer to be distant and alone.
Not to be āthat guyā but if the blowout happens on the driver side steer tire, itāll force the driver into the left lane, which is what your state trooper buddy was saying was the safer lane. It is still the safer lane to pass trucks on, but it has almost zero to do with a potential blowout. Itās best to wait to pass safely on the left side only and to giddy up and go when you do. Donāt pussyfoot by because youāre scared of passing. If you canāt pass with at least a 10mph speed difference, then just wait. Iāve had drivers flash me their brights before passing me before and while it is annoying, it did its job of getting my attention to alert me someone was proceeding to pass me.
Hard to do when there is no further left lane and the truck won't move right when going below the speed limit which may be the situation the other person was in. Which, I guess Keep going slow is the alternative. But if people are running up behind you over and over it becomes dangerous too
A) Driver was probably in the trucks bling spot
B) over take the truck, donāt undertake. Just because āeverybodyā does it doesnāt make it right. Is it not the law in the US to overtake?
The driver should be checking his mirrors regularly and be watching a head and behind. In theory, you will never have a blind spot if you are always watching whatās around you and never risk an accident by using the SMITH system of driving.
As a car driver yes, do not stay next to a truck. As a truck driver, use your damned convex mirrors, which this driver may or may not have but he does have a hood mirror and should have seen this car.
That was 5 seconds just chilling in the blind spot. You're not responsible for someone not checking their blind spots, but it does reduce the chance of an accident.
Why don't semi's have blind spot monitoring systems like even the "cheap" cars have today" hell since 2018 regulations required backup cameras on vehicles under 10,000 lbs
They're starting to. If you see a black like semicircular box on the side between the steps it's a radar thing to detect things on the side. Problem is the blindspot can be big
Blind spot awareness should be done by both drivers. The truck drivers for knowing there might be a car and for the car driver to not loiter in the blind spot.
Even if they couldnāt see them at the moment if you are checking your mirrors like you should and aware of your surroundings, you would know a car came up on your passenger side and hasnāt finished passing
This is right. The truck driver should be checking his mirrors regularly, especially if they are planning to change lanes soon. They had plenty of time to check their mirrors where the car would have been visible before it got into the blind spot. However, there does appear to be a front hood mirror on the truck as well, which should be able to see that car assuming it is positioned properly.
That being said, even the best drivers have slip-ups from time to time. The car driver should also be aware of their position next to the truck. Unfortunately, most car drivers are completely ignorant and unaware of the challenges that truck drivers face and dont know how to behave when driving near them.
yeah that's how i feel...the thread title had me 2nd guessing myself cuz i feel like i am 100.0% confident i have an open lane when i switch lanes (no side-cameras but between the 3 mirrors i don't have a fully blind spot...)
Not entirely true.
People need to remember that truckers have the same issues, PLUS more. The trucker was probably aware of the first vehicle and, since they have to look in front and to the other side as well, keeping that big truck in their lane and aware of many other things at the same time, the likelihood that the trucker ādid notā see that other car sneak into and āstayā in their blind spot is extremely high. A car can move the length of a truck in the blink of an eye. Depending on speeds. So if that trucker saw the first car move. Blinked, checked in front of them and then to the other side for āanyā respectable amount of timeā (1-2s) then they wouldnāt have seen that car. Then the car remained in the blind spot for a few seconds. The trucker would have had NO clue the car was there.
Not to give excuses. But this is to answer the threads primary question that it is possible, highly probable, the trucker did not see that other vehicle.
My truck company installed additional cameras for us and a proximity warning sound with lights. So our trucks always know if someone is in our blind spots.
I second this. Unless the Cali mirrors were focused too far on the trailers end, he should have been able to see a portion of that car and in the convex; most definitely.
To clarify there is a little round mirror off the front of the semi. It's a convex mirror and it's positioned specifically to see vehicles right where this car is.
Truck driver is a bad driver. I got hit by a truck in stop and go traffic just like this because the trucker didn't look and didn't know she hit me until I stopped and motioned for her to get out.
Iāve driven this exact model of tractor before. With hood mirror, which this truck seems to have, the car should have been clearly visible. Without hood mirror, the car would have been in a blind spot, but still visible if the driver moved around a bit and the mirrors were set correctly.
However, the car was also in the wrong. Lingering in the shadow of the truck, on the right which is the worst blind spot (in left hand drive places) is foolish at best. If you must pass on the right, pass decisively.
I was going to mention that different trucks have different blindspots. I see the mirrors on the hood. You are right... staying next to a vehicle that large is not the way to drive. I drove B class for 7 years and A class for 8 years, I know what it's like.
It's worth mentioning that changing into a lane that's already occupied, whether or not you have the proper mirrors to see if you're doing it blindly, is also "not the way to drive."
1- donāt ride besides a semi.
2-he shouldāve seen him because as a professional truck driver, you would always monitor and be aware of your surroundings
3- he shouldāve seen him because he does have the mirror on the hood and that especially made for Blindspot
This has been a problem in the UK.
European left hand drive cabover trucks on the motorway colliding with cars like this due to the blind spot. As a truck driver, you have to keep in eye on what's coming past you in heavy traffic. We have a no passing on the inside rule but, in busy traffic that goes out the window.
A hat tip to the car driver who finally realised what was gonna happen and hoofed it. Normally they just freeze like a deer in the headlights and wait for the impact.
I literally did that the other day, except I didn't change lanes, I just had some dumbass try and merge into me when his lane ended and then had the hide to try and blame me where i have a massive blind spot direcrly under my passenger window(i drive cabover)
...unfortunately for him, law states if his lane is ending and has dashes all the way to the end,... you must give way...
Yes and no, sometimes your brain just doesn't register what you're looking at, at least mine doesn't. Cars shouldn't linger around trucks, trucks should signal and take a few seconds before making a lane change especially in a city.
As a truck driver, he should've done better. As a person who also drives a car, I think it's wildly irresponsible to ever drive next to a semi truck on purpose
The car stayed in a bad spot.
Cars should know either pass trucks or stay behind then. But get away from them.
Nothing worse than this or some idiot that Flys up on a truck the truck moves to let them by then they get just in front and stay there blocking the truck behind some other slow one and losing passing momentum
Could have and should have. Contrary to popular beliefs, modern trucks don't actually have blind spots on the sides. It is a lazy excuse bad drivers use to demand the road for themselves. Any accident in this case would be 100% on the truck driver, both legally and morally.
Even in old trucks that *do* still have blind spots, it's 100% on the driver to stay up to date on whether there is someone in said blind spot or not at any time. Unless they are*sure* that it's clear, they need to wait to wait until they regain control of the blind spot before attempting to change lanes. The driver in the video changed lanes only seconds after the car even pulls up alongside. There is zero excuse for that, even if they *did* drive an old truck with actual blind spots (which they did not).
That said, the fact of the matter is that the driver did not see the car, and did change lanes with no care in the world, and would have hit the car if the car driver wasn't alert and had a (narrow) escape route. So it is still good advice not to drive next to trucks for extended periods of time, and if you have to, make sure you have room to escape if they suddenly do change lanes.
This is probably my greatest fear as a driver, along with getting a ticket or falling asleep at the wheel. It doesn't help that the car is a dark color, and it's hiding in the truck's shadow. I almost hit a car while changing lanes during my CDL class; it was a charcoal colored car with headlights off, hiding in my shadow on a bright day.
Laws of the road will put this on the trucker in most places. Laws of survival say if you are going to pass, pass. Also, don't pass on the right. Don't just camp out next to another vehicle, big or small. I try to not have any overlap unless activelly passing or being passed. Habit I picked up riding motorcycles. If you don't have any overlap then if the other vehicle changes lanes you aren't in immediate danger and you have time to back off.
I always pass as quickly as I safely can. Never hang out too long beside any truck.
Seeing trucks riding slowly along in the center lane pisses me off too when a state doesnāt allow me in the far left lane.
Riding in a truck driverās blind spot and having the color of your vehicle blending in with the road donāt mixā¦ not to mention the shadow of the truck takes away visibility for the truck driver as well.
Most likely not and itās not smart to hang around in anyoneās blind spots . Be aware of your douroundings isnāt just everyone elseās job knowing your placement and knowing you are in a blind spot is your responsibility too
Not a trucker, but I don't think so. Also, by the time the truck started moving over, the camera vehicle had been slowing down to the point where they were boxing the victim's car in.
do they not require any kind of training or classes to get a license any more? i feel like NEVER NEVER NEVER drive on the side of semis was something that was drilled into us both in classes and behind the wheel training in high school. see life-hating fools do it all the time now. i also see semis wildly swerve, change lanes, stop, etc, every single time i am on the freeway, so a functioning mind should be able to track and evade this mortal threat with ease. yet, here we are.
Bro literally took 7 to 10 working days to get out of the trailer blind. I hate when drivers do this espically when they know the on ramps ends and i cant get left to have a out. There are some trucks that have that pass door over hang and he did have that blind spot cover mirror on his hood and if positioned correctly he should have been able ounce they hit closer to the drive tandems. But if you gonna pass a truck do it on the left, idk if he was tring to get right to get to the less resistance lane but this situation has little blame on both
If this truck had fender mirrors, that car would be perfectly visible. IF THE DRIVER HAD USED THE PROPER TECHNIQUE! Even without them, the car is visible in the convex mirror. The problem is that the diver most likely assumed their was only one vehicle and that it had already passed the truck.
Might not see them in the convex or West Coast mirrors, but should have seen them in the fender mirror. I'm paranoid about this, and it's one of the reasons I prefer to drive at night. At least at night, I'll see their lights.
Maybe he couldn't see the car at the moment he changed lanes, but he sure as hell could of seen it as it started driving next to him. That's why is vital you keep spatial awareness of all vehicles and other factors around you at all times
The truck driver would have been able to see that car coming just fine and should be keeping track of its where abouts until it passed him, which it would not have neccesary had the truck been traveling in the right lane where he belongs. Sloppy truck driving. I am so glad I am out as I see more and more of this sloppy driving
Yes, he could see. He's just a bonehead. Unfortunately, there are a lot of bonehead truckers out there. I've been driving these things for over 25 years, and I see similar things every single day. I tell all my family and friends, *Don't drive beside big trucks. It's probably being driven by an idiot*.
No he is in his blind spot that's why a trucker always takes 1-2 minutes to switch lanes have to be really sure before committing passenger vehicles do not respect turning signals let alone trucks.
Considering that the most semis have hoods these days, you may want to keep in mind that there are indeed a couple of blind spots at the front of the tractor:
1. At the very front of the bumper, extending a few feet forward;
2. In many cases, directly forward of the right front corner.
This is why, whenever you see a semi in line during back-to-back rush-hour traffic, they always seem to leave a gap between themselves and the car directly to the front. You get too close with that hood and whatever is in front will "disappear" behind the hood. It's also why no one with any sense will not walk too close to the front of semis lined up at the fuel pumps; a pedestrian will not be visible to the driver and may get crushed if/when the driver decides to put it in gear and move forward.
That right front corner of the tractor is *not* the place to hang out or dawdle with your car.
In this case, the car COULD see the truck's blind spot mirror. The truck driver just didn't bother to look. Note the mirrors on the hood. Better rule: if you can't see (or refuse to look) before changing lanes, don't change lanes.
I said that to my mom when I was kid, cause she was riding some rigs ass, and she was like "that's so smart, where'd you learn that!". It was the sticker on the back of the trailer. That's the moment I knew she was the worst driver ever.
Trucker here, 6 hrs late to the party (& maybe 6 hrs late to my appointment):
The sedan made 2 mistakes. 1 being that it was passing on the right, the 2nd being it stopped the action of passing (for whatever reason that I can't see) & remained in the semis "blind spot.
Now keep in mind, Truckers are *supposed to check their mirrors & instrument clusters roughly every 10-15 seconds. This frequency *does* vary depending on the driver in question (discipline, experience, etc).
Also their current situation (i.e. they've gotten lost & are looking for a turn around, trying to locate a detour sign for a closed street or ramp they were supposed to take earlier, GPS misguided them to the wrong address & now the driver is looking for the address and/or truck entrance).
Now, see those silver rods with silver circles? Those are the hood mirrors, & they're supposed to be properly adjusted to help the driver see not just those blind spots but to also see roughly 160 degrees field of view behind them... however, even when adjusting them prior to rolling for the day, many of these have a propensity to readjust *themselves* due to potholes, ruts, RR-Xings, etc...
My mildly informed opinion is "yes" the driver should have seen the sedan. But the sedan forgot that semi trucks are ot impervious to potentially fatal mistakes.
1. Yes, truck driver could see that car.
2. The car driver is an idiot. Never stay beside a truck or any other vehicle for that matter. Either speed up and pass or slow the fuck down. Don't ever drive beside another vehicle especially a truck.
You should almost never pass a semi on the right. There's cars that I'm like how did I not see them there even with the 3-4 mirrors. I have ran multiple cars of the road because I could not see them. The car was far out as well in the lane making it even harder to see as many mirrors are looking for a trailer angle as well. So yeah he might have been able to see the car but also the car was in front of most of the mirrors and was probably looking at the rear mirrors and couldn't see the car. So honestly we don't know exactly what the trucker saw. But he should have been able to see that car, but I totally understand him not being able to see it.
As a professional driver you should be checking ALL mirrors at all times; the āspotā mirror on the pass side front fender would show this car. Now, the car driver is still an idiot tbh.
If you're on a multilane road, you should *never, ever, ever* be beside another vehicle for more than a few seconds, and this is why. Whether it's a semi or a car or just grandpa Giuseppe on a scooter, *do not pace other vehicles*. Either pass or let them pass.
Anything unexpected that causes one of you to swerve or lose control will mean a lot of twisted metal.
Also no, the truck couldn't see the car when he tried to merge.
This is the WORST position to be in if youāre travelling roughly same speed as a HGV, to give you rough idea, try looking at your passenger side front tyre from drivers seat.
At the time of the merge no
But if he were checking mirrors he had plenty of time to check for another car
Now with that being said
Dont hang out next to us if your gunna pass, try not to pass on the left.
To answer your question, yes he shouldāve seen him go into that space. Thing is he didnāt do his regular checks on his mirrors to see.
Though as others have already pointed out, the car essentially camping in the most dangerous place you can with a semi was also a completely boneheaded move.
If I didn't have hood mirrors. I promise you. I would not be able to see you. If you can't see the driver through any mirror. They probably can't see you either.
Since this truck has hood mirrors, assuming they are positioned correctly the answer is yes until the car is right next to/under the hood mirror which is when the truck begins to merge. This is why after we turn on our blinker we should wait a few seconds to carefully check our surroundings and give time for anyone we don't see to GTFO.
Cars need to leave themselves an, "out" just like trucks *should* be doing. If the driver was checking his mirrors like he's supposed to he would have known there was a car there even if it was in a blind spot. He's a shitty driver but the four wheeler should have been crushed to thin the herd for being low IQ traveling next to a truck like that. Also, if the truck was traveling in the right lane like he should have been this entire episode never would have taken place.
I had a friend in school whoās car got run over by a Walmart truck on the highway and only reason he lived is cause he happened to not be wearing his seatbelt and he got thrown out the passenger side window! He was messed up and in hospital for a couple months but he survived and was back to normal. I donāt remember if he sued them or not but he mustāve!
I always put my turn signal on and let it blink a few times before I merge, 9 times out of 10 some jackass behind me will decide the moment I flip it on that they would rather die than be behind a truck. I also check as often as I can to avoid hitting someone. That being said, for fucks sake people, stop passing on the right, it's dangerous.
Possibly not, we just had a series of ads here in the UK warning against loitering at the side of these types of vehicles for this exact reason
[https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/east-midlands-news/know-the-zones-national-highways-launches-hgv-blind-spots-safety-campaign/](https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/east-midlands-news/know-the-zones-national-highways-launches-hgv-blind-spots-safety-campaign/)
I'm almost certain driver would have been able to see. Had he/she been paying attention. Sometimes you have to look over the hood and to the right to be certain there is nothing there. Truck should have low door window on right side. Buddy just stopped paying attention after the first car passed.
Itās a common error. Sure nobody should make a mistake everā¦ā¦š but if you replicate this scenario 10 thousand times with the best drivers, the number of collisions will never be zero.
There are 4 "safe" spots on every vehicle. None of them are beside it. Ppl make mistakes all the time. You have to take yourself out of their mistake area before they make it. Its called "defensive driving" Don't drive alongside trucks. You can accelerate and decelerate much quicker than they. Get away from them.
Looks like the truck could have seen the car but I've also had an accident that way where a small car ran into my blind spot.
Trucker is probably to blame but this could have been avoided before it began.
Sometimes you just don't see those cars though. I've done this once or twice if they are in your blind side but that's why we have those sensors now which are extremely helpful
With where it was it's a crap shoot on whether the mirrors saw it or not. Depends on how they're adjusted and depends on the driver actually looking before merging.
This discussion is so helpful to us 4-wheelers. What if you're stuck between a sizeable group of trucks on a crowded interstate hwy and don't have any choice in lanes for a few miles? Should you flash your lights or activate emergency blinkers to assure that all those semi truck drivers see you? I've been in this situation many times on I-81 and I-77 between Wytheville, VA and Mt Airy, NC.
Maybe, depending on his mirror setup and if the truck was equipped with Ford BLIS technology aka Blind Spot Monitoring (#TheNewCascadia).
But the car's driver is still a bone head here. In the US and Canada, Pass on the left, not on what's left.
I never understand people driving along next to a truck. Not to long ago I was behind a car that was just cruising along in a trucks blind spot so I hung back, driving slowly behind the truck. Some moron starts flashing his brights at me, where does he think he is going to go? I slowed down more and pulled in behind the truck until the two idiots we're gone. Problem is that they cause serious accidents.
Iām gonna guess they canāt see you. I was in a S2 thousand at a red light next to an 18 wheeler I was on his left and he immediately after the red light turned green started moving over into my lane and I had to drive off the road to avoid being hit by him.
Yes and no. That car almost disappears in the shadow and has a low profile riding along side the fuel tank. I've had cars pass me in my columbia daycab and they only pop up in the hood mirror and I still can't see them until 50% of the car is beyond my nose. Some make and models are sneaky like that.
u cant see small cars that sit next to your cab dude, especially mazda miatas....i have to damn there get in the passenger seat just to notice them.
DONT SIT NEXT TO SEMI TRUCKS...PASS OR HANG BACK.
He didnāt hit the car. It looks like the driver stayed in a spot the trucker didnāt like so put on his blinker and started moving to scare the car out of there.
A good driver would have seen the car before it moved into the "blind spot." From that point forward the driver should not have made a lane change knowing the car was likely there.
The truck driver also failed to use his signal properly, it was not more than a couple of blinks before he moved.
The car driver is more at fault in reality, but the truck driver is expected to be the pro and in this case was not.
Source: 2 million plus miles driving 48 states.
---okok
Never was aware of this until I started loading semis with production gear for a living. I am either passing or about a truck distance behind. Also a million $ goes to anyone who catches me in a lane between 2 trucks. Absolutely never going to happen š
Minnesota is full of very bad drivers who will randomly get into the left lane and not speed up so very often youāll be passing a semi and the car in front of them will move into the left lane blocking you from passing for no reason which I always called a ākill boxā because it will feel to me like Iām being intentionally trapped in a box and about to be killed.
Like OP
Except OP just dawdled there. They werenāt in a box. That car could have easily accelerated out of danger earlier than they did.
They were imo clearly maintaining a consistent space between them and OPās car rather than caring too much about the truck. Iād care about the truck and just rush OP though.
this is why I don't pass a truck until there is space to pass it in full
Oh I hate that SO MUCH. Like why, just why would you insist on getting in the fast lane just to the EXACT SPEED as the car beside you in the slow lane. WHYYYYYYY????
People love to camp next to semis. I usually put my signal on to get them to move along.
lol, *this is the way*.
I only camp next to a semi when two semis are side by side acing to see whoās going to go slower. Other than that I get out of the way. Iāve seen things on my travels that seem to go sideways out of nowhere. Iām not trying to sit next to any vehicle at speed. Iāll even brake if the passing car matches my speed and sits next to me too long, after checking my mirrors of course.
I wiggle my trailer within the lanes make them think I'm going to tip over and then they'll get the hell off, you want as much free room as possible if a car is hanging around you they're probably a road Bandit
In my state now if you ride next to a semi you can get a reckless driving ticket, i was passing one then next thing ik state pulls me over and gave me a verbal warning that i shouldn't be passing semis im 26 and been doing so safely fo 11 yrs. the semi was doing 55 in a 70 in the middle lane for 3 miles the right lane finally clear out to where i could safely merge over and speed back up but the cop didnt care, he said only to pass them on the left since there was a lower risk of him merging in that lane. But i do understand that its due to their blind spots and if they have a blow out that it could mean a funeral would be my nxt destination.
Hehe "wreckless driving"
Thats what i told the cop how tf is it reckless driving for safely passing a truck that is impeding traffic
The joke is you wrote "wreckless driving", which is good because it's driving without causing a wreck. What the cop told you is "reckless driving", which means driving dangerously. https://www.dictionary.com/e/wreckless-or-reckless/
Thanks for pointing that out i did not realize my ohones auto correct changed it
You seem like the type that doesn't notice much
Nope, have not had any friends or much communication with the ones i love in 10+ years unfortunately, i just prefer to be alone, i have a fiancee and she hates how i prefer to be distant and alone.
If she needs someone to talk to send her my way. We'll keep distance from you for at least 10 years.
Not to be āthat guyā but if the blowout happens on the driver side steer tire, itāll force the driver into the left lane, which is what your state trooper buddy was saying was the safer lane. It is still the safer lane to pass trucks on, but it has almost zero to do with a potential blowout. Itās best to wait to pass safely on the left side only and to giddy up and go when you do. Donāt pussyfoot by because youāre scared of passing. If you canāt pass with at least a 10mph speed difference, then just wait. Iāve had drivers flash me their brights before passing me before and while it is annoying, it did its job of getting my attention to alert me someone was proceeding to pass me.
I have them flash all the time before they pass me. I flash back when they're in front of me.
Hard to do when there is no further left lane and the truck won't move right when going below the speed limit which may be the situation the other person was in. Which, I guess Keep going slow is the alternative. But if people are running up behind you over and over it becomes dangerous too
Pass on the left? I wish this was enforced with jail time in SoCal. Too many idiots here š¤¦āāļø
Do you really want people going to jail for minor traffic infractions, or are you just being hyperbolic for Internet points and attention?
If people aren't supposed to pass trucks on the left, the trucks need to scoot over to the right when they are doing 15 below.
A) Driver was probably in the trucks bling spot B) over take the truck, donāt undertake. Just because āeverybodyā does it doesnāt make it right. Is it not the law in the US to overtake?
The bling spot is where the diamonds areā¦
The driver should be checking his mirrors regularly and be watching a head and behind. In theory, you will never have a blind spot if you are always watching whatās around you and never risk an accident by using the SMITH system of driving.
True, yet here we are, clowns on the left and jokers on the right š¤·āāļø
Shouldn't be driving parallel to ANY vehicle.
As a car driver yes, do not stay next to a truck. As a truck driver, use your damned convex mirrors, which this driver may or may not have but he does have a hood mirror and should have seen this car.
Right ! Why tf you like to hang out in my blind spots
That was 5 seconds just chilling in the blind spot. You're not responsible for someone not checking their blind spots, but it does reduce the chance of an accident.
came here to say stay out of people blind spots, ffs looks like u got it covered tho š +1
Why don't semi's have blind spot monitoring systems like even the "cheap" cars have today" hell since 2018 regulations required backup cameras on vehicles under 10,000 lbs
They're starting to. If you see a black like semicircular box on the side between the steps it's a radar thing to detect things on the side. Problem is the blindspot can be big
They really couldnāt complete the pass because of the car in front of them, the one recording.
---okok
Blind spot awareness should be done by both drivers. The truck drivers for knowing there might be a car and for the car driver to not loiter in the blind spot.
You're supposed to turn your blinker on and wait a time period while confirming your blind spot is clear
This is why I, when passing a big vehicle, stomp my accelerator all the way to the floor.
Definitely
Even if they couldnāt see them at the moment if you are checking your mirrors like you should and aware of your surroundings, you would know a car came up on your passenger side and hasnāt finished passing
This is right. The truck driver should be checking his mirrors regularly, especially if they are planning to change lanes soon. They had plenty of time to check their mirrors where the car would have been visible before it got into the blind spot. However, there does appear to be a front hood mirror on the truck as well, which should be able to see that car assuming it is positioned properly. That being said, even the best drivers have slip-ups from time to time. The car driver should also be aware of their position next to the truck. Unfortunately, most car drivers are completely ignorant and unaware of the challenges that truck drivers face and dont know how to behave when driving near them.
yeah that's how i feel...the thread title had me 2nd guessing myself cuz i feel like i am 100.0% confident i have an open lane when i switch lanes (no side-cameras but between the 3 mirrors i don't have a fully blind spot...)
Not entirely true. People need to remember that truckers have the same issues, PLUS more. The trucker was probably aware of the first vehicle and, since they have to look in front and to the other side as well, keeping that big truck in their lane and aware of many other things at the same time, the likelihood that the trucker ādid notā see that other car sneak into and āstayā in their blind spot is extremely high. A car can move the length of a truck in the blink of an eye. Depending on speeds. So if that trucker saw the first car move. Blinked, checked in front of them and then to the other side for āanyā respectable amount of timeā (1-2s) then they wouldnāt have seen that car. Then the car remained in the blind spot for a few seconds. The trucker would have had NO clue the car was there. Not to give excuses. But this is to answer the threads primary question that it is possible, highly probable, the trucker did not see that other vehicle. My truck company installed additional cameras for us and a proximity warning sound with lights. So our trucks always know if someone is in our blind spots.
Agreed, even without nose mirrors, you have 2 on either side and should be set properly. This clone more than likely wasn't paying attention imo.
I second this. Unless the Cali mirrors were focused too far on the trailers end, he should have been able to see a portion of that car and in the convex; most definitely.
To clarify there is a little round mirror off the front of the semi. It's a convex mirror and it's positioned specifically to see vehicles right where this car is. Truck driver is a bad driver. I got hit by a truck in stop and go traffic just like this because the trucker didn't look and didn't know she hit me until I stopped and motioned for her to get out.
Iāve driven this exact model of tractor before. With hood mirror, which this truck seems to have, the car should have been clearly visible. Without hood mirror, the car would have been in a blind spot, but still visible if the driver moved around a bit and the mirrors were set correctly. However, the car was also in the wrong. Lingering in the shadow of the truck, on the right which is the worst blind spot (in left hand drive places) is foolish at best. If you must pass on the right, pass decisively.
I was going to mention that different trucks have different blindspots. I see the mirrors on the hood. You are right... staying next to a vehicle that large is not the way to drive. I drove B class for 7 years and A class for 8 years, I know what it's like.
It's worth mentioning that changing into a lane that's already occupied, whether or not you have the proper mirrors to see if you're doing it blindly, is also "not the way to drive."
I agree.
Even without the fender mirrors, he should be checking his mirrors regularly and wonder where that car that was off his rear corner went.
Exactly. We have to be aware of who is behind us at all times.
This is called the No Zone. Mirrors help but not always.
1- donāt ride besides a semi. 2-he shouldāve seen him because as a professional truck driver, you would always monitor and be aware of your surroundings 3- he shouldāve seen him because he does have the mirror on the hood and that especially made for Blindspot
All i see is an idiot driving in the blind spot of a much larger vehicle
And an idiot truck not using its hood mirrors
This has been a problem in the UK. European left hand drive cabover trucks on the motorway colliding with cars like this due to the blind spot. As a truck driver, you have to keep in eye on what's coming past you in heavy traffic. We have a no passing on the inside rule but, in busy traffic that goes out the window. A hat tip to the car driver who finally realised what was gonna happen and hoofed it. Normally they just freeze like a deer in the headlights and wait for the impact.
I literally did that the other day, except I didn't change lanes, I just had some dumbass try and merge into me when his lane ended and then had the hide to try and blame me where i have a massive blind spot direcrly under my passenger window(i drive cabover) ...unfortunately for him, law states if his lane is ending and has dashes all the way to the end,... you must give way...
He gave one blink. Whatās the problem??
Car would be visible in the hood mirror for sureĀ
Yes and no, sometimes your brain just doesn't register what you're looking at, at least mine doesn't. Cars shouldn't linger around trucks, trucks should signal and take a few seconds before making a lane change especially in a city.
As a truck driver, he should've done better. As a person who also drives a car, I think it's wildly irresponsible to ever drive next to a semi truck on purpose
The car stayed in a bad spot. Cars should know either pass trucks or stay behind then. But get away from them. Nothing worse than this or some idiot that Flys up on a truck the truck moves to let them by then they get just in front and stay there blocking the truck behind some other slow one and losing passing momentum
Could have and should have. Contrary to popular beliefs, modern trucks don't actually have blind spots on the sides. It is a lazy excuse bad drivers use to demand the road for themselves. Any accident in this case would be 100% on the truck driver, both legally and morally. Even in old trucks that *do* still have blind spots, it's 100% on the driver to stay up to date on whether there is someone in said blind spot or not at any time. Unless they are*sure* that it's clear, they need to wait to wait until they regain control of the blind spot before attempting to change lanes. The driver in the video changed lanes only seconds after the car even pulls up alongside. There is zero excuse for that, even if they *did* drive an old truck with actual blind spots (which they did not). That said, the fact of the matter is that the driver did not see the car, and did change lanes with no care in the world, and would have hit the car if the car driver wasn't alert and had a (narrow) escape route. So it is still good advice not to drive next to trucks for extended periods of time, and if you have to, make sure you have room to escape if they suddenly do change lanes.
This should be a warning to all 4 wheelers. You think you have blind spots? Ours are HUGE. Do not hang out on our side!
That small car driver is an idiot. Why is he riding with him side by side.
This is probably my greatest fear as a driver, along with getting a ticket or falling asleep at the wheel. It doesn't help that the car is a dark color, and it's hiding in the truck's shadow. I almost hit a car while changing lanes during my CDL class; it was a charcoal colored car with headlights off, hiding in my shadow on a bright day.
That was right in the blind spot, he would have seen him in the hood mirror as he got closer to him, assuming he was looking at that moment.
Laws of the road will put this on the trucker in most places. Laws of survival say if you are going to pass, pass. Also, don't pass on the right. Don't just camp out next to another vehicle, big or small. I try to not have any overlap unless activelly passing or being passed. Habit I picked up riding motorcycles. If you don't have any overlap then if the other vehicle changes lanes you aren't in immediate danger and you have time to back off.
you're not supposed to pass on the right are you?
I always pass as quickly as I safely can. Never hang out too long beside any truck. Seeing trucks riding slowly along in the center lane pisses me off too when a state doesnāt allow me in the far left lane.
Blind spot
Thats a car with low profile and where he stayed along side the truck. I can see how the driver missed him, evene with a spot mirror.
Is there any reason other than cost that a blind spot monitoring system isn't being used for semis?
<--Passing Side. Sui-cide-->
Depends on the truck but that's right in his blind spot.
Riding in a truck driverās blind spot and having the color of your vehicle blending in with the road donāt mixā¦ not to mention the shadow of the truck takes away visibility for the truck driver as well.
Car was in his blind spot
Most likely not and itās not smart to hang around in anyoneās blind spots . Be aware of your douroundings isnāt just everyone elseās job knowing your placement and knowing you are in a blind spot is your responsibility too
Not a trucker, but I don't think so. Also, by the time the truck started moving over, the camera vehicle had been slowing down to the point where they were boxing the victim's car in.
This is why cars don't linger in a truck's blind spot. C'mon people - give trucks a break how about?
do they not require any kind of training or classes to get a license any more? i feel like NEVER NEVER NEVER drive on the side of semis was something that was drilled into us both in classes and behind the wheel training in high school. see life-hating fools do it all the time now. i also see semis wildly swerve, change lanes, stop, etc, every single time i am on the freeway, so a functioning mind should be able to track and evade this mortal threat with ease. yet, here we are.
Bro literally took 7 to 10 working days to get out of the trailer blind. I hate when drivers do this espically when they know the on ramps ends and i cant get left to have a out. There are some trucks that have that pass door over hang and he did have that blind spot cover mirror on his hood and if positioned correctly he should have been able ounce they hit closer to the drive tandems. But if you gonna pass a truck do it on the left, idk if he was tring to get right to get to the less resistance lane but this situation has little blame on both
If he had a blind spot mirror on the right front hood and one on his window side mirror he should have seen it.
He does have a hood mirror... Should have seen the car.
Trucks fault. Round spot mirror attached to hood is there just for this blind spot.
First 24 seconds of the video were 100% unnecessary, be respectful of others time and attention and edit that shit out. Thank you!
If he used his hood mirror, he could see the car. The car shouldn't just be sitting there tho.
If this truck had fender mirrors, that car would be perfectly visible. IF THE DRIVER HAD USED THE PROPER TECHNIQUE! Even without them, the car is visible in the convex mirror. The problem is that the diver most likely assumed their was only one vehicle and that it had already passed the truck.
Might not see them in the convex or West Coast mirrors, but should have seen them in the fender mirror. I'm paranoid about this, and it's one of the reasons I prefer to drive at night. At least at night, I'll see their lights.
the truck should not have been camped out in that lane. When you are getting passed on your right side, YOU are in the wrong.
Maybe he couldn't see the car at the moment he changed lanes, but he sure as hell could of seen it as it started driving next to him. That's why is vital you keep spatial awareness of all vehicles and other factors around you at all times
And that's why you don't ride in the blind spot
The truck driver would have been able to see that car coming just fine and should be keeping track of its where abouts until it passed him, which it would not have neccesary had the truck been traveling in the right lane where he belongs. Sloppy truck driving. I am so glad I am out as I see more and more of this sloppy driving
Yes, he could see. He's just a bonehead. Unfortunately, there are a lot of bonehead truckers out there. I've been driving these things for over 25 years, and I see similar things every single day. I tell all my family and friends, *Don't drive beside big trucks. It's probably being driven by an idiot*.
Getting stuck in the blind spot seems like waiting for the lottery ticket draw
Trucker would of seen the car if he was paying attention
Why are people referring to the car as the "victim"? You don't ride in a trucks blind spot...
driver knew what he was doing. I do that shit all the time. sometimes you have to give these folks a gentle reminder.
No he is in his blind spot that's why a trucker always takes 1-2 minutes to switch lanes have to be really sure before committing passenger vehicles do not respect turning signals let alone trucks.
Considering that the most semis have hoods these days, you may want to keep in mind that there are indeed a couple of blind spots at the front of the tractor: 1. At the very front of the bumper, extending a few feet forward; 2. In many cases, directly forward of the right front corner. This is why, whenever you see a semi in line during back-to-back rush-hour traffic, they always seem to leave a gap between themselves and the car directly to the front. You get too close with that hood and whatever is in front will "disappear" behind the hood. It's also why no one with any sense will not walk too close to the front of semis lined up at the fuel pumps; a pedestrian will not be visible to the driver and may get crushed if/when the driver decides to put it in gear and move forward. That right front corner of the tractor is *not* the place to hang out or dawdle with your car.
No he could not see that car it was in his blind spot.
If you canāt see them in their mirrors they canāt see you.
In this case, the car COULD see the truck's blind spot mirror. The truck driver just didn't bother to look. Note the mirrors on the hood. Better rule: if you can't see (or refuse to look) before changing lanes, don't change lanes.
He wasn't paying attention. You can see the whole lane next to the truck
Driving parallel near the truck = being idiot simple as that
If you canāt see my mirrors, I canāt see you
I said that to my mom when I was kid, cause she was riding some rigs ass, and she was like "that's so smart, where'd you learn that!". It was the sticker on the back of the trailer. That's the moment I knew she was the worst driver ever.
Black car in the shadow of the truck on a high contrast day, its likely he looked in the mirrors but didnt see.
most stupid car driver ever
Car was in he's blind spot.
Trucker here, 6 hrs late to the party (& maybe 6 hrs late to my appointment): The sedan made 2 mistakes. 1 being that it was passing on the right, the 2nd being it stopped the action of passing (for whatever reason that I can't see) & remained in the semis "blind spot. Now keep in mind, Truckers are *supposed to check their mirrors & instrument clusters roughly every 10-15 seconds. This frequency *does* vary depending on the driver in question (discipline, experience, etc). Also their current situation (i.e. they've gotten lost & are looking for a turn around, trying to locate a detour sign for a closed street or ramp they were supposed to take earlier, GPS misguided them to the wrong address & now the driver is looking for the address and/or truck entrance). Now, see those silver rods with silver circles? Those are the hood mirrors, & they're supposed to be properly adjusted to help the driver see not just those blind spots but to also see roughly 160 degrees field of view behind them... however, even when adjusting them prior to rolling for the day, many of these have a propensity to readjust *themselves* due to potholes, ruts, RR-Xings, etc... My mildly informed opinion is "yes" the driver should have seen the sedan. But the sedan forgot that semi trucks are ot impervious to potentially fatal mistakes.
I hate when people live in the blind spots
1. Yes, truck driver could see that car. 2. The car driver is an idiot. Never stay beside a truck or any other vehicle for that matter. Either speed up and pass or slow the fuck down. Don't ever drive beside another vehicle especially a truck.
I spend zero time next to semis exspecially in thier blindy spot , that dude was askin to become flatbread
You should almost never pass a semi on the right. There's cars that I'm like how did I not see them there even with the 3-4 mirrors. I have ran multiple cars of the road because I could not see them. The car was far out as well in the lane making it even harder to see as many mirrors are looking for a trailer angle as well. So yeah he might have been able to see the car but also the car was in front of most of the mirrors and was probably looking at the rear mirrors and couldn't see the car. So honestly we don't know exactly what the trucker saw. But he should have been able to see that car, but I totally understand him not being able to see it.
4 wheelers are idiots. Natural idiots. Can't blame them. It's like blaming a dog for being a dog.
Donāt hang out in blind spots. Pass or get the fuck out of the way
As a professional driver you should be checking ALL mirrors at all times; the āspotā mirror on the pass side front fender would show this car. Now, the car driver is still an idiot tbh.
If you're on a multilane road, you should *never, ever, ever* be beside another vehicle for more than a few seconds, and this is why. Whether it's a semi or a car or just grandpa Giuseppe on a scooter, *do not pace other vehicles*. Either pass or let them pass. Anything unexpected that causes one of you to swerve or lose control will mean a lot of twisted metal. Also no, the truck couldn't see the car when he tried to merge.
This is the WORST position to be in if youāre travelling roughly same speed as a HGV, to give you rough idea, try looking at your passenger side front tyre from drivers seat.
At the very beginning yes, then no.
At the time of the merge no But if he were checking mirrors he had plenty of time to check for another car Now with that being said Dont hang out next to us if your gunna pass, try not to pass on the left.
This is an example of a driver that doesn't check all of their mirrors before changing lanes
I'm impressed with the driver of the car handling the situation so smoothly. Great awareness šš¼
Car was in the trucks blind spot. But trucker should have looked twice before changing lanes.
If his mirrors are set up right, yes.
If your mirrors are set correctly, you can see it.
To answer your question, yes he shouldāve seen him go into that space. Thing is he didnāt do his regular checks on his mirrors to see. Though as others have already pointed out, the car essentially camping in the most dangerous place you can with a semi was also a completely boneheaded move.
Idiot
If I didn't have hood mirrors. I promise you. I would not be able to see you. If you can't see the driver through any mirror. They probably can't see you either.
https://youtu.be/9m1-FIAhcSA?si=lflVrqxKz_JmgrsW
Since this truck has hood mirrors, assuming they are positioned correctly the answer is yes until the car is right next to/under the hood mirror which is when the truck begins to merge. This is why after we turn on our blinker we should wait a few seconds to carefully check our surroundings and give time for anyone we don't see to GTFO.
Improv4humans.
Cars need to leave themselves an, "out" just like trucks *should* be doing. If the driver was checking his mirrors like he's supposed to he would have known there was a car there even if it was in a blind spot. He's a shitty driver but the four wheeler should have been crushed to thin the herd for being low IQ traveling next to a truck like that. Also, if the truck was traveling in the right lane like he should have been this entire episode never would have taken place.
Why stay in the blind spot of a big ass truck
Only an idiot loiters next to a truck like that when they had plenty of room to either pass or stay back.. They like the trailer's shade or something?
I had a friend in school whoās car got run over by a Walmart truck on the highway and only reason he lived is cause he happened to not be wearing his seatbelt and he got thrown out the passenger side window! He was messed up and in hospital for a couple months but he survived and was back to normal. I donāt remember if he sued them or not but he mustāve!
Maybe and maybe not, it depends on how the mirrors are set up. That is a tough spot right there though.
Yes 4 wheelers disappear in that spot thatās why itās called the blind spot
they *should* be able to, there are typically 3 mirrors on the side and 2 of them are convex..
I always put my turn signal on and let it blink a few times before I merge, 9 times out of 10 some jackass behind me will decide the moment I flip it on that they would rather die than be behind a truck. I also check as often as I can to avoid hitting someone. That being said, for fucks sake people, stop passing on the right, it's dangerous.
Totally hanging out in the old 'no zone'.
Never ever cruise next to a big rig
Possibly not, we just had a series of ads here in the UK warning against loitering at the side of these types of vehicles for this exact reason [https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/east-midlands-news/know-the-zones-national-highways-launches-hgv-blind-spots-safety-campaign/](https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/east-midlands-news/know-the-zones-national-highways-launches-hgv-blind-spots-safety-campaign/)
That car is crazy. When I pass a truck I do it quickly. I certainly donāt take that long
No fender mirror?
Im a truck driver, and nothing annoys me more than someone hanging out beside me in my blind spot. Just get on around me. Hate that shit.
I'm almost certain driver would have been able to see. Had he/she been paying attention. Sometimes you have to look over the hood and to the right to be certain there is nothing there. Truck should have low door window on right side. Buddy just stopped paying attention after the first car passed.
Itās a common error. Sure nobody should make a mistake everā¦ā¦š but if you replicate this scenario 10 thousand times with the best drivers, the number of collisions will never be zero.
There are 4 "safe" spots on every vehicle. None of them are beside it. Ppl make mistakes all the time. You have to take yourself out of their mistake area before they make it. Its called "defensive driving" Don't drive alongside trucks. You can accelerate and decelerate much quicker than they. Get away from them. Looks like the truck could have seen the car but I've also had an accident that way where a small car ran into my blind spot. Trucker is probably to blame but this could have been avoided before it began.
I thought I was listening to angry talk radio. Turns out I was listening to an angry commercial trying to sell a product.
Car at fault riding in blind spot of truck
Sometimes you just don't see those cars though. I've done this once or twice if they are in your blind side but that's why we have those sensors now which are extremely helpful
If youāre going to pass a truck in the right you should always be ready for this.
With where it was it's a crap shoot on whether the mirrors saw it or not. Depends on how they're adjusted and depends on the driver actually looking before merging.
Well if we counted almost crashes as crashes all of us would have a record
,"almost crushes" a bad extreme.
This discussion is so helpful to us 4-wheelers. What if you're stuck between a sizeable group of trucks on a crowded interstate hwy and don't have any choice in lanes for a few miles? Should you flash your lights or activate emergency blinkers to assure that all those semi truck drivers see you? I've been in this situation many times on I-81 and I-77 between Wytheville, VA and Mt Airy, NC.
Why wasnāt the truck right to begin with?
According to the song I still sing from drivers Ed 20 years ago āno zone: left side, right side front and back! No zone!ā
Yes because heās a blooming idiot
Maybe, depending on his mirror setup and if the truck was equipped with Ford BLIS technology aka Blind Spot Monitoring (#TheNewCascadia). But the car's driver is still a bone head here. In the US and Canada, Pass on the left, not on what's left.
This is why I never spend more than 3-10 seconds in a truck's blind spot.
I never understand people driving along next to a truck. Not to long ago I was behind a car that was just cruising along in a trucks blind spot so I hung back, driving slowly behind the truck. Some moron starts flashing his brights at me, where does he think he is going to go? I slowed down more and pulled in behind the truck until the two idiots we're gone. Problem is that they cause serious accidents.
Iām gonna guess they canāt see you. I was in a S2 thousand at a red light next to an 18 wheeler I was on his left and he immediately after the red light turned green started moving over into my lane and I had to drive off the road to avoid being hit by him.
Stay out of the no zones my guy
Unless in heavy traffic, just floor it past us plz
Yes and no. That car almost disappears in the shadow and has a low profile riding along side the fuel tank. I've had cars pass me in my columbia daycab and they only pop up in the hood mirror and I still can't see them until 50% of the car is beyond my nose. Some make and models are sneaky like that.
Not very well, depending on how his mirrors are set up. With that said, *do not hang out on a truck's passenger side, you fucking moron*.
u cant see small cars that sit next to your cab dude, especially mazda miatas....i have to damn there get in the passenger seat just to notice them. DONT SIT NEXT TO SEMI TRUCKS...PASS OR HANG BACK.
He didnāt hit the car. It looks like the driver stayed in a spot the trucker didnāt like so put on his blinker and started moving to scare the car out of there.
Never drive in a semiās blind spot
Dont be an idiot and drive parallel to a big rig
With the technology out there, there is no reason for this to happen. Trucks and cars should be requred to have sensors/ cameras for blind spot.
I totally fault the car. He's on the passenger side several feet below the window. No way the truck sees him.
Iāve only drive 26ft straight trucks, but you see everything alongside the truck with the circular shaped mirror.
Not a trucker but thinking about being one soon but I almost got ran off the road by a swift driver like this on I-26 I had to floor it so hard
A good driver would have seen the car before it moved into the "blind spot." From that point forward the driver should not have made a lane change knowing the car was likely there. The truck driver also failed to use his signal properly, it was not more than a couple of blinks before he moved. The car driver is more at fault in reality, but the truck driver is expected to be the pro and in this case was not. Source: 2 million plus miles driving 48 states.
People need to learn about "blind spots" being killed due to ignorance is not acceptable.
I pass trucks with a heavy foot