According to the National Safety Council, large trucks were involved in 4,814 fatal accidents in 1991. With that in mind, here are some tips for peaceful coexistence with the big rigs. Stay out of a truck's blind spot. If you can't see a truck's mirrors, you're probably in its rear blind spot, which trails about 200 feet directly behind a truck.
Blind spots exist along both sides of trucks.
Experts say the right blind spot is especially dangerous because trucks like to swing into the right lanes to avoid troubles in the road ahead. If you are in a truck's blind spot, drop back or pull forward. Don't ride alongside a truck. The American Trucking Association suggests that drivers following trucks should position their cars at either side of the lane so they can be seen in the truck's mirrors. Don't try to sneak up on trucks.