Due to their size and length, trucks have numerous blind spots that cannot be seen directly from the cab. These blind spots pose a safety hazard to both truck drivers and the vehicles around them. Your mirrors provide the valuable information you need about traffic and other conditions around your truck to help you remain safe on the road.
Visualize Your Surroundings
The main value of your truck’s mirrors is their ability to help you visualize your surroundings. Your mirrors are mounted in a way to compensate for many of your truck’s blind spots, giving you a clearer picture of the cars, pedestrians, and structures around you as you drive. Checking your mirrors constantly allows you to spot potential hazards, such as vehicles or pedestrians next to your truck, preventing accidental collisions during lane changes and turns. However, it’s important to remember that even with your mirrors, your truck still has large blind spots and you should always handle changes in course with care.
Keep Up with Road Conditions
In addition to providing the location of the cars around you, your truck’s mirrors also provide information about where these cars are going and how fast they are moving. As you drive, you can use your mirrors to ensure you are keeping up with traffic and to note changes in the flow of traffic around you. You can also use your mirrors to visualize the movement of cars and make predictions about how they will move in the future to ensure you are moving at a safe speed and have sufficient time and space to react to sudden changes in road conditions or unexpected moves made by aggressive drivers.
At HDS Truck Driving Institute, you’ll learn how to handle a truck safely during your CDL training in Tucson. You can find out more about our nationally recognized truck driver training and how to enroll in our program by calling (877) 205-2141 or clicking through our website.
