THERE are more than 205 million vehicles on America’s roads today, ten percent more than ten years ago and they all seem to be traveling directly in front of you on summer weekends. Normal car and truck traffic becomes even more crowded with vehicles towing boats and campers, plus drivers who have taken their motorcycles out from winter storage. So, this is a good time to review rules for sharing the road safely.
One key tip is to make sure you are not invisible to drivers of trucks and that includes everything from large SUVs, pick-ups and recreational vehicles to huge 18-wheelers. Do not drive in their blind spots. There is enough height difference between a compact or regular sedan and a large SUV, and between a large SUV and an 18-wheeler, that the larger vehicle simply may not know you are behind.
A good rule of thumb is that if you cannot see the truck driver’s face in your side mirrors, the driver of the larger vehicle cannot see you, either. Tailgating is never smart, it’s even less smart to tailgate somebody bigger than you. Trucks typically cannot see anything less than 30 feet behind the trailer, so stay at least 100 feet back. Never pass a truck on the right side, because a driver’s blind spot is even bigger on the right. That rule also applies to any vehicle bigger than you, including one the same size towing a boat or camper. And the bigger the vehicle, the bigger the blind spot. When passing, change to the truck’s lane only when you can see both its headlights in your rearview mirror. Never cut in front of trucks since a fully loaded 18-wheeler can weigh 80,000 pounds and require the length of a football field to stop. When passing a vehicle towing a boat or camper, wait for a straight section of road, since the tow can drift out of its lane and into yours on a curve.
Motorcyclists always should wear helmet and eye protection, and bright clothing during the day and reflective materials at night. Since everybody on the road is bigger than a bike, cyclists should use the same sensible driving and passing techniques as cars sharing the road with trucks, stay out of their blind spots.
Two wheels or four, never race a train to a crossing. Don’t try to guess a train’s speed and distance, since lighting conditions could cause an optical illusion that makes such a judgment impossible. Many crossings have multiple tracks, so even if you cross the first set okay, diminished speed and power could prevent completing the crossing. It just not worth the possibility of getting stuck on the tracks and getting struck by a speeding train.
At unregulated intersections, the driver on the right has the right of way, even if you got there a split second ahead. On long trips, or when bumper-to-bumper traffic makes them long, take a rest stretch legs and arms which have been locked into the gas pedal and steering wheel position and roll your neck to reduce shoulder cramping. According to the Department of Transportation, traffic accidents cost American businesses more than $54 billion a year in the form of sick time and increased insurance and healthcare benefits. The cost of personal pain and anguish to those injured and those who love them cannot be calculated.
Driving sensibly, courteously and attentively is the best way to share the road safely this summer.