Light vehicle driver tips

Trucks have larger blind spots than a normal car.

Their blind spots are located right in front of the truck, beside the truck driver’s door, on the passenger side and behind the truck.

Remember, if you can’t see their mirror, they can’t see you.

Planning to overtake a truck? Some reminders:

• It takes longer to drive past trucks due to their size so make sure the road ahead is clear before overtaking them.
• Do not overtake a heavy vehicle on a curve or hill as you can’t see far enough ahead.
• When it’s safe to overtake, first indicate, then overtake promptly while staying within the speed limit.
• After you overtake, maintain your speed so the heavy vehicle doesn’t need to brake.

Trucks can take up more than one lane when turning at any road. Do not attempt to overtake a turning truck. If you’re driving behind a truck, leave extra space as soon as you see a truck’s indicator flashing to turn.

• Heavy vehicles take longer to slow down so please leave a safe distance when driving in front of, or behind them.
• Leave a long, safe distance when pulling in front of a truck – they take a long time to stop because of their weight – around two footy fields if they are going 100km/hr. The big space in front of a truck often isn’t a safe gap for you to merge into… it’s their safe stopping distance.
• Don’t follow a heavy vehicle too closely as you need to see what’s ahead, for example, debris and other cars.
• Remember to be extra cautious during wet weather.
• Don’t stop too close behind a heavy vehicle on an uphill road as they will slightly roll back.
• In an emergency, the average driver takes about 1.5 seconds to react.

Learn more on Stopping distances: speed and braking | Transport and motoring | Queensland Government

If you are ever driving towards or behind an oversized and over mass vehicle with an escort vehicle, make sure to stay calm, slow down, move to the left if necessary and respond to gestures by the driver of the escort vehicle.

Learn more in the links below:

• Sharing the road with oversize, pilot and escort vehicles | Qld Gov.
• Sharing our roads with oversize loads | NHVR
• What should I do when I see a wide load approaching? | QPS
• Wide load vehicles and your responsibilities around them | Far North QPS

Truck drivers need a place to rest after driving long hours for work so please stay out of truck stops.