A large percentage of incidents where vehicles hit bicyclists can be explained by the driver not knowing the cyclist was there.
Distracted driving can be the cause. Drivers may be looking at their phone, chatting to a passenger or fiddling with the vehicle controls rather than checking in their mirrors. But sometimes a driver can glance in their mirror and not see a bicyclist who is actually in their path. If they make a maneuver based on that check alone, there is a chance they will hit the bicyclist. This is a special concern for truck drivers whose vehicles are much larger than those of other drivers.
Trucks have very large blind spots
The blind spots of a truck are far more extensive than those of most other vehicles. So it is relatively easy for a bicyclist to end up in one of those blind spots and think that the driver has seen them when they haven’t. Here are the four blind spots to be aware of:
- 20 feet in front
- 200 feet behind
- One lane to the left extending just past the front of the trailer
- One lane to the right extending beyond the rear of the trailer
It is best to stay out of these blind spots as much as possible when you are on a bicycle, as even a slight brush from a truck could be enough to result in serious injury or death.
If a truck does hit you, it’s important to know that you may be entitled to compensation even if you were in one of those blind spots at the time. After all, it is not always possible to avoid them. Seeking experienced legal guidance can help you counter any arguments from insurers that the crash was your fault due to where you were positioned.
