Truck Crash Reference

Blind-spot and no-zone crashes

Last updated . Sources checked

Contents
  1. Where visibility is limited
  2. Observation before moving
  3. Mirrors and the actual vehicle
  4. Related entries
  5. References
Blind-spot and no-zone crashes
Agency termNo-zone[1]
Mirror provision49 CFR 393.80[2]

Truck blind spots are areas around a large vehicle that the driver cannot readily see. FMCSA uses the term no-zone for danger areas around trucks and buses, including blind spots. A vehicle being difficult to see is a safety problem to manage, not a finding that either driver is automatically responsible for a collision.[1][3]

See: Wide-turn truck crashes

Where visibility is limited

FMCSA warns passenger drivers about blind spots in front of a truck, behind it and along its sides. Its guidance recommends avoiding lingering beside large vehicles and leaving space when passing. FMCSA's advice about staying visible in truck mirrors is a practical warning for surrounding motorists; it is not a guarantee that a truck driver has actually noticed a vehicle that is visible in a mirror.[3]

Observation before moving

FMCSA describes inadequate surveillance as failing to look in the appropriate place, or looking but failing to see, when a maneuver requires observation. Its commercial-driver guidance calls for checking mirrors before changing lanes, turning or merging. A blind-spot explanation should therefore examine the observation and movement sequence rather than treating the presence of a blind spot as a complete defence.[1]

Mirrors and the actual vehicle

Section 393.80 generally requires covered vehicles to have outside rear-vision mirrors on both sides, positioned to provide a view of the highway to the rear along both sides. It includes a driveaway-towaway exception. Equipment requirements and driver observation are related but different: the condition and positioning of the mirrors should be established separately from whether the driver used them before moving.[2]

References

  1. abc CMV Driving Tips: Inadequate Surveillance. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/driver-safety/cmv-driving-tips-inadequate-surveillance. official. Checked . Source record
  2. ab 49 CFR 393.80: Rear-vision mirrors. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Office of the Federal Register and GPO. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-393.80. official. Checked . Source record
  3. ab Tips for Passenger Vehicle Drivers. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ourroads/tips-driving-safely-around-large-trucks-or-buses. official. Checked . Source record