Driving Along Major Highways

When you drive along major highways, eg, Mombasa – Nairobi, Nairobi – Malaba, Nairobi – Isiolo, etc. you are bound to compete for road space with all types of motor vehicles. It is vital to pay special attention to trucks and other long haul vehicles for your personal safety. Following are a few tips to bear in mind.

• Trucks are Not like Cars

When trucks accelerate, brake, climb a hill, switch lanes, or turn, the tractor-trailers perform certain maneuvers with that car drivers are generally not familiar with. The bigger the truck, the bigger the blind spot, the more room it needs to maneuver, the longer it takes to stop and the more likely that you are going to be the loser in a collision.

• Only Pull In Front of a Truck When You See the Whole Truck in Your Mirror.

Because of their size and weight, trucks need a much greater distance to stop than cars. If you do not give the driver enough space, you run the risk of being hit from behind.

• Give Trucks Room When Passing

Truck drivers sometimes need to swing wide to manage their turns because the vehicle is large. When they do, they cannot see cars directly behind them.

• Give Trucks Time to Pick Up Speed

A truck may have 2-3 times more power under than a car, but it must pull 30-40 times more weight than a car engine. The truck may have to go through ten gears to reach the speed limit.

• Give Trucks Room to Stop

A car traveling at 55 MPH can stop in 133 feet; a loaded tractor-trailer takes 196 feet to stop. That is almost 50% more distance than a car needs.

• Avoid Entering the Truck's Blind Spots

Unlike Cars, trucks have deep blind spots directly behind them. If you follow too close, not only do you make it impossible for the truck driver to see you, but you also cut off your own view of traffic flow. Trucks also have blind spots on both sides of them. When you travel in these areas, you cannot be seen by the driver.

Facts about Crashes involving Trucks

• In 9 out of every 10 fatal crashes between cars and trucks, the occupants of the car are killed.
• The car driver is cited about twice as often as the truck driver for reckless driving in crashes involving large trucks.
• In almost two-thirds of fatal crashes, the impact point is at the front of the truck, suggesting that most fatal crashes are within the forward field of view of the truck driver.