What Are Truck No-Zones?

Thursday, August 12, 2021

What Are Truck No-Zones?

Written by Malman Law, reviewed by Steve J. Malman.

For obvious reasons, buses and commercial trucks have considerably bigger blind spots than the average car. What should you know about these blind spots, and how can you avoid getting blindsided by them yourself?

A truck’s blind spots, or “no-zones,” as they’re commonly called, are areas where the truck driver will be unable to see the vehicles or pedestrians moving alongside them. It can be very dangerous to hang close to these no-zones, as one wrong move could easily lead to an accident occurring.

These no-zones are wide encompassing and widely deadly, as they can span:

• Within 20 feet directly in front of the truck
• Within 200 feet directly behind the truck
• Within both sides (left and right) of the truck

Now, the above might lead you to scratch your head with more questions than answers. How can you avoid the blind spots on every side of a vehicle? Will being a no-zone complicate your liability if you tried to file a lawsuit with the help of a Chicago truck accident lawyer? Moreover, who can you trust to build an adequate case in your fight for accountability?

How To Avoid Truck No-Zones

What should drivers consider when attempting to keep their distance from a truck’s no-zones? Below are some tips to follow to try to stay safe when driving near trucks whenever possible. However, no matter how safe you might be, truck drivers can still make errors that lead to truck accidents. 

When driving in close proximity to large trucks, drivers should be considerate and mindful of:

• Moving away from right turns, as large trucks swing widely to the left when turning
• Giving the truck as large of a following distance as possible
• Refraining from passing the truck during inopportune times
• Checking their mirrors; if they can’t see the trucker’s face in the side mirror, then the trucker can’t see them either

By being cognizant and vigilant of these distancing rules, drivers will be able to maintain safe, accident-free boundaries outside of a commercial truck’s no-zones. And even in the unfortunate event that they can’t and a commercial truck winds up colliding with them, that may not necessarily throw the trucker’s liability completely out of the window.

Even if you shared some of the fault, there are several ways in which the trucker could still hold the majority of the negligence. Given that Illinois is a state that adheres to comparative negligence laws, proving the driver’s majority negligence will become all the more necessary a task, and to have your best bet at doing so, it’s necessary that you hire an experienced, trusted, and reputable Chicago truck accident lawyer.

Seeking Help from a Chicago Truck Accident Lawyer

Malman Law is proud to represent the rights of truck crash victims, whether a crash involved a no-zone issue or not. Time and time again, we’ve stood up to trucking companies and their insurers on behalf of our injured clients.

If you’re a local truck crash victim looking to learn about your rights following a serious collision, our Chicago truck accident lawyers may be able to help you do precisely that. Get in touch with our office today to learn more and book a free consultation.