Driving a truck or bus is, needless to say, a huge responsibility. But just how big of a responsibility is it? For one thing, there are numerous factors that create safety challenges for truck and bus drivers. Here are some of the main ones that operators of those commercial vehicles have to navigate every time they get on the road.
Risks that truck drivers and bus drivers face.
Size of vehicles.
Just simply by being huge, buses and trucks automatically have safety challenges. They are many times larger than a standard-sized car. That bulkiness means that, for example, if a truck is involved in an accident with a car, the consequences could be severe.
Acceleration and slowing down.
Because of their size, trucks and buses take longer to accelerate, especially going uphill, and to slow down, especially going downhill. Thus they have to adjust their driving accordingly to be able to safely navigate roads among other vehicles. When they want to slow down or stop, they have to allow a large distance and enough time between the time they decide to stop and when the vehicle will come to a stop.
The height of the vehicles.
Needless to say, buses and trucks are much taller and sit higher off the ground than other vehicles do. That introduces various safety challenges, such as the risk of smaller vehicles being pulled or pushed under buses or trucks that have a high clearance from the ground. Also, trucks and buses can create wind gusts because of their height, and those gusts can push smaller vehicles near them around on the road and into other lanes.
Because of their higher center of gravity, tall vehicles like buses and trucks are at risk of rolling over more easily than smaller vehicles. So, it’s important for truck drivers to prevent truck rollovers. And drivers of larger vehicles have to be extra cautious by traveling more slowly on ramps and around curves in the road.
Ability to maneuver.
Anyone who has driven a small car and then a large pickup truck knows that driving the larger vehicle introduces challenges relating to the ability to maneuver. That is even more true for a driver of a bus or truck because it is that much larger and more cumbersome.
Blind spots.
Related to the size and configuration of trucks and buses, there are blind spots around those vehicles that can make it challenging to properly view the road, other vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists around trucks or buses. A heightened level of caution is definitely required.
All drivers on the road along with all pedestrians and bicyclists must pay close attention for everyone to stay safe. But drivers of large vehicles have an especially great responsibility and must deal with the challenges described here. Truck and bus drivers should keep those challenges in mind whenever they are driving.
It’s important to get truck insurance quotes so that you’re protected from risk while you’re behind the wheel of your truck. We can help you get multiple quotes for truck insurance, and we make insurance easy. Get started with quotes by filling out our online form or giving us a call.
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