Findit Parts surveyed more than 1,000 Americans 18 and older and discovered that less than 5% of them know the locations of a semi-truck’s blind spots. This lack of truck knowledge could lead to dangerous behaviors on the road and contribute to crashes involving commercial vehicles.
This data also coincides with a 2004 study by the University of Michigan analyzing fatal truck and car crashes from 1994 and 1995 (the most recent data available). The study found that 70% of crashes between large trucks and cars occurred due to passenger car driver behavior alone.
While truck-car crash fatalities have declined since 1995, the safety of the motoring public and truck drivers should always be a priority. Breaking down the results of Findit Parts’ survey could help shed light on the dangers of the motoring public’s lack of knowledge about driving alongside heavy-duty trucks.
See also: Summertime reminder: Most drivers aren’t professionals
Americans don’t know a semi-truck’s blind spots
Results from Findit Parts’ survey reveal that less than 5% (4.64%) of American adults can accurately identify all the blind spots on a tractor-trailer. That’s fewer than 1 in every 20 American adults.
Additionally, four out of five Americans (80%) surveyed were unaware that the area directly in front of a semi is a blind spot.
“Truck drivers can’t detect cars that are less than 20 feet ahead of their cab; the drivers sit too high off the ground to be able to see what’s directly in front of them,” Findit Parts explained. “This means that a majority of automobile drivers in the U.S. mistakenly think their vehicle is visible whenever they’re in front of a semi.”
Findit Parts also reported that 64% of survey respondents admitted to seeing other motorists change lanes “immediately in front of a large truck” and into a truck drivers’ blind spot.
See also: Summertime reminder: Most drivers aren’t professionals
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