The no zone is the area around trucks where there is limited or no visibility. Limited visibility is a common cause of car accidents. The FMCSA has outlined four particular no zones that can be particularly dangerous to motorists.
- Side no zones: Trucks and buses have large no zones on both sides. If you cannot see the driver’s face in your side-view mirror, the truck driver cannot see you.
- Rear no zones: Unlike cars, trucks and buses have large blind spots directly behind them. This can be particularly dangerous because the truck driver cannot see you and you cannot see beyond the truck, which can be deadly if the truck has to brake suddenly.
- Front no zones: Rear-end collisions often happen when a car driver passes a truck, zips into the lane in front of the rig and then slows down. That means that trucks and buses must brake suddenly. But because they are heavier, they take longer to stop, making a rear-end crash likely.
- Wide right turns: Truck drivers may need to swerve to the left in order to safely maneuver through a right turn. But if you’re squeezed in behind or beside them, you run the risk of an accident