Personal injury Attorney Ben Schwartz gives drivers a safety tip to never drive alongside them because of the significant blind spots for drivers of tractor-trailers. View other safe driver tips on the playlist for commercial tractor-trailers.

Hello, I’m attorney Ben Schwartz,

This is the second video in a short series on tractor-trailer driving safety. If you watched the first video you know that we are doing a series because we want people out in the community, who are driving in cars and trucks to be safe out on the highway when they are driving near tractor-trailers or big trucks. 

The second tip we have to help keep you safe and keep your family safe is that tractor-trailers have significant blind spots. I have to tell you that I live in New Castle County Delaware. Our main offices are in Dover, Delaware, and I spend a lot of time going back and forth on state Route 1 in Delaware. Route 1 is two lanes south, two lanes north and there are always vehicles in both lanes. Whether you are going south or north. 

One thing that drives me nuts is when there is a tractor-trailer in the right lane and I go to pass it, but there is a car in front of me in the left lane and it hovers right next to the tractor-trailer. That drives me nuts because I know that there is a big blind spot for that tractor-trailer driver. That driver of that big truck may not be able to see me or this car in front of me, that is blocking me from passing and so my tip today is that if you are going to drive near a tractor-trailer or you are going to drive near a big truck, what you need to do is make sure you do not hover in the lane next to the truck you are going to pass it, pass it. If you are not going to pass it stay back and keep your distance. 

But you should know that if that tractor-trailer driver has a sudden emergency, maybe a deer comes out from the side of the road, or you know a dog runs out and he goes to swerve if he does not know you are there, he is not going to know not to slam into you. So, you never want to drive next to a tractor-trailer because they may not be able to see you. 

I am attorney Ben Schwartz. Hopefully, this tip is something that can help keep you safe and your family members and friends safe. Please feel free to share this video with people that you love and care about. If you have a video suggestion for me, a tip that would make a good safety video for me, or a question about the law in general that you would like me to answer in this format send me an email.