While tailgating a lorry on the motorway is never a good idea, do you know the many different blind spots of a heavy goods vehicle?
A recent quiz posted by the Queensland Department of Roads and Traffic has proven to drivers across the globe that a lorry driver’s sight lines are severely restricted and larger vehicles should be negotiated with caution on motorways.
Writing on their Facebook page, the Queensland traffic authority said: “Truck (lorry) drivers have a few limitations when it comes to accelerating and slowing down.
“Heavy vehicles need more room to make turns, and their blind spots are much larger than cars.
“The only cars outside of this truck’s blind spots are blue and orange.”
The advice from driving safety experts in the UK when driving near to heavy goods vehicles is to ensure that you can see the driver, or at the very least the mirrors of the vehicle so you know that they can see you.
Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Research, said: “It is actually frightening how little a lorry driver can see of the road around them from high up in their driving seats.
“Drivers, bikers, cyclists and pedestrians must all remember the importance of eye contact.
“If you can’t see the driver then he can’t see you. New cab designs and extra mirrors all help but they will take years to replace the lorries we have on the roads today.
“For now the advice is simple: if you can’t see the lorry’s mirrors then move back, forward or sideways until you can and never go up the near side of a large lorry.”