On the road, heavy vehicles are big, slow and take up a lot of room... That's enough to test you’re your patience as a driver!
Here is a simple way to stay calm when driving behind a heavy vehicle: try to think of something that has never been transported by a heavy vehicle (Good luck).
​So… how should we act as a driver?
- ​ Give the truck drivers lots of room for their maneuvers, especially at intersections . Immobilize your vehicle before the stop line, especially when you see heavy vehicles making a RIGHT turn - for them, it is the hardest turn to do.
- If you do not see the heavy vehicle driver's eyes, that means he or she cannot see you. You are in one of their blind spots. Don't stay there! Speed up, slow down, change lanes... but do something.
- On a three lane expressway or more, heavy vehicles normally do not have the right to drive in the left lane. I do not excuse, by any way, the fact that some dangerous heavy vehicle drivers follow way too closely other vehicles. If you feel that the heavy vehicle wants to pass you, change lanes towards the right, even if you are in the center lane.
- Have you noticed all the free space in front of heavy vehicles? This is not an opening to enter into that lane, but rather the safety margin that truckers need to respond. Leave them this space; you don't want to be sandwiched between the heavy vehicle and the car in front of you if traffic slows down quickly.
​Finally, the best way to act when approaching heavy vehicles is to be courteous and use your judgement. With a little luck, the driver will notice your intentions and will thank you by flashing his sidelights.
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