Safe Winter Travel with Big Trucks

Last week, as our latest winter storm warning was coming to fruition here in Kansas City, I started my trek home on the snow-packed roads and passed a CarterEnergy truck.  I thought how lucky I was to be heading in the opposite direction, to my warm home with my husband and pets.  Then I felt a touch of guilt, as I knew that many people in the service industry, like us, (who operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week), would be working tirelessly in the severe cold temperatures and muck. 

My thoughts went quickly back to the road, as the possibility of sliding and careening into another car was a distinct possibility.  Personally, I get very nervous driving on slick roads in the wintertime, but the thought of colliding with a large vehicle is even scarier. 

While I feel I’m a pretty safe driver—and it’s the “other guys” I’m worried about—I also realize that it never hurts to review the basics of safe winter driving, especially how they relate to sharing the road with large vehicles, such as our fuel delivery trucks. 

• Trucks require more time to stop, especially during winter, so try to maintain a distance of 20-25 car lengths between a truck and your vehicle.  A good rule of thumb is to look for the truck’s side mirrors.  If you can see both, you’re at a good distance—and the driver can also see you. 
• Be aware of blind spots, in case a truck needs to suddenly change lanes to avoid debris or another obstacle.  Try not to linger alongside a truck; move past it or back off so that the driver can see you.  Check for the driver’s face in their side mirror, which signals that you’re visible.  Also, on the right side of the vehicle, the blind spot runs the length of the truck and extends out three lanes, so it’s usually best to pass on the left. 
• When passing, keep a distance where the truck’s headlights are in your rear view mirror.  This helps ensure that the driver has enough distance to stop the vehicle during an emergency.  A tractor trailer fully loaded with fuel can weigh up to 80,000 pounds and take the length of a football field to stop under normal conditions; you don’t want that to hit your own 3,000 pound vehicle.   
• Be careful around snowplows, which can be twice as wide as other large trucks.  They can be equipped with either a plow extending between12-15 feet in the front or a side wing plow extending 8-10 feet on the sides.  Try to keep at least five car lengths between these vehicles and use extreme caution when passing them. 
• Keep your eyes on the road, especially far ahead of you.  Watch for brake lights from multiple cars and trucks, which can signal danger ahead and give you time to react.

For additional tactics on staying safe on winter roads, visit Weather.com’s safety tips for Driving in Snow and Ice.  And above all else, be careful out there!