Where the Danger Zones Are

Most tractor-trailers share the same blind spots. They sit in front of the cab, along both sides, and behind the trailer.

• About 20 feet in front of the truck. The hood and the height of the cab can hide a car that is stopped at a light, a person in a crosswalk, or a vehicle that just cut in too close.
• Both sides of the truck, especially the right. The driver sits on the left. Objects tight against the cab or running along the trailer can disappear from the mirrors. The passenger-side blind spot is the larger of the two.
• About 30 feet behind the trailer. The trailer itself blocks the view. A car sitting on the bumper back there may not exist as far as the driver’s mirrors are concerned.

If you cannot see the truck driver’s face in the side mirror, there is a good chance that driver cannot see you.

The Right Side Is the Riskier Pass

The left-side no-zone is smaller because the driver is closer to that window and that mirror. The right-side no-zone runs farther down the trailer. That is why so many sideswipe and squeeze crashes happen when a car sits in the right lane next to a truck that is moving right to take an exit or change lanes.

If you need to pass a semi, pass on the left when you can do it safely. Do it with enough space to get all the way past the trailer. Do not linger beside the cab or halfway down the box. Move through the zone. Then give the truck room.

How to Stay Out of the No-Zones

When a truck is behind you. If a rig is riding your bumper, the driver may not have a clear view of you, and you have a worse problem if traffic ahead stops. Big trucks take much longer to stop than cars and pickups, often around 40 percent longer when they are loaded. Sitting directly in front of a following semi is a poor place to be. Change lanes when you can do it safely and get out of that stopping-distance gap.

When a truck is beside you. Cruising next to a trailer for a long stretch puts you in the side no-zone. Speed up enough to clear the front, or ease back enough to leave the truck ahead of you. Do not match the truck’s speed in the passenger-side blind spot while the driver is lining up for an exit.

When a truck is in front of you. Do not tailgate a tractor, with or without a trailer. The driver may not know you are there. Your view of brake lights and stalled traffic ahead is also blocked. Leave space. If the truck has to stop hard, you need room to stop too.

Give these vehicles a wide berth on I-5, Highway 97, and the other freight corridors that run through Oregon. Extra following distance is not courtesy. It is physics.

Blind Spots Do Not Erase Responsibility

A no-zone explains how a driver missed a car. It does not automatically make the crash unavoidable. Commercial drivers are trained to check mirrors, signal early, and account for the size of the vehicle they are paid to operate. Companies are required to keep those vehicles safe and to follow federal motor carrier rules.

Crashes in these zones often involve:

• A lane change without a proper check of the right-side mirrors
• An unsafe merge toward an exit
• A car underride at the rear of the trailer
• A squeeze against a barrier or a guardrail
• A pedestrian or cyclist hidden in front of the bumper

After a wreck, insurers for the trucking company may say you “should have known” you were in a blind spot. That argument cuts both ways. The professional driver is the one operating the 80,000-pound vehicle. Mirror use, signaling, and lane discipline are part of that job.

For more on how truck cases differ from ordinary car wrecks, see Hit by a Semi Truck in Oregon.

Evidence in These Crashes Disappears Fast

Trucking companies want the rig back on the road. Electronic logging data, engine control module information, dash video, and the trailer itself can be repaired, overwritten, or moved before anyone on the injured person’s side has looked at them.

That is why these files need attention early. Preservation letters, inspection of the truck, and a prompt request for the electronic data are often what show whether the driver checked the no-zone, how fast the truck was moving, and when the brakes were applied.

Compensation in a serious truck crash can include medical bills, future medical needs, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, and, in the worst cases, compensation for permanent impairment or the loss of a loved one.

What to Do After a Crash With a Semi

• Get medical care even if you think the injuries are minor
• Photograph vehicle positions, lane markings, and the sides of the trailer if you can
• Get the trucking company name, the DOT number, and the trailer number
• Do not give a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurer
• Call a firm that handles commercial vehicle cases, not only fender-benders

We Handle These Cases Across Oregon

At Dwyer Williams Cherkoss, we have spent decades representing people hurt by tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles. We know the no-zones. We also know how companies use those zones to shift blame onto the smaller vehicle.

If you or someone you love was hurt in a crash with an 18-wheeler, reach out. We offer free consultations, and we only get paid if we win for you. You can focus on healing. We will move to protect the evidence and fight for the compensation this kind of wreck demands.