Motorists and truck drivers share the road every day, but how much do we really know about safely doing so?

Safety Tips for Motorists

• Be aware that trucks create wind gusts. Keep both hands on the wheel when you pass a truck or when a truck passes you.
• Leave plenty of room between you and a truck when coming to a stop on a hill. Trucks may roll back as the driver takes his or her foot off the brake.
• Don't speed up when a truck is passing you. Instead, stay to the right and slow down slightly. Let the truck pass you. This will give the truck driver plenty of room to pass safely and get you out of the truck's blind spot faster.
• If a truck driver is signaling to change lanes, give him or her space. An average truck changing lanes at highway speeds needs an eight second gap or 700 feet - the length of 2 1/2 football fields.

Safety Tips for Truck Drivers

• Double-check your mirrors before turning right. Motorists may not know that you need to swing wide to the left to make a right turn and they may not realize that you are turning.
• Signal early and often when maneuvering through and around intersections. In heavy traffic, motorists who drive alongside the truck may not see your turn signal. Signaling early gives motorists the information they need to decide whether or not to pull alongside you.
• Don't tailgate. It makes motorists uneasy to have 80,000 pounds of truck on their rear bumper.
• Leave extra space between your truck and cars around you whenever possible. Many motorists don't know how long it takes a truck to stop or how much room you need to pass safely.
• Use proper parking areas when pulling off the road. Trucks are four times more likely to be rear-ended than cars. It is especially important to use designated parking areas when possible. If you can't do this, pull completely off the road and set out flares, safety triangles or other devices to alert other drivers.

AAA has a number of publications available such as the one shown on this page - "Share with Care: Sharing the Road Safely" - with more tips for motorists and truck drivers. To learn more, please contact your local AAA office.