How to Safely Pass a Tractor Trailer on Florida’s Turnpike

There is an enormous amount of commercial trucking traffic on Florida’s Turnpike. For motorists, passing an eighteen wheeler can be extremely stressful. There is a good reason for that: Large trucks are inherently dangerous. Passing safely when on a busy highway is a must. In this article, our Miami truck accident lawyer highlights the best practices for safely passing a tractor trailer on the Florida Turnpike.

Best Practices for Passing a Large Truck On Florida’s Turnpike

Carefully Evaluate the Road Conditions Before Beginning the Pass of a Truck

Passing a large commercial truck should always be done with extreme care. You should not move alongside an eighteen wheeler until you have confirmed that there is enough open roadway to complete the maneuver without rushing. Among other things, motorists on Florida’s Turnpike should check the left lane for approaching vehicles, disabled vehicles, construction activity, lane closures, and merging traffic. Notably, passing becomes more hazardous near entrance ramps because another vehicle may force the truck to change lanes unexpectedly.

Passing a Truck Should Generally Be Done On the Left Side

As a general rule, you should use the left lane when overtaking a tractor-trailer. There are a few different reasons why this is important. To start, the truck driver generally has better visibility along the driver’s side than along the passenger side, where a large blind spot may extend across multiple lanes. Beyond that, Florida’s Turnpike advises motorists to remain in the right-hand lanes and use the far-left lane for passing. Before moving left, drivers should be sure to activate their turn signal, check their mirrors, and look over their shoulder for a vehicle already entering the passing lane.

Avoid the Truck’s Blind Spot (As Best You Can)

Large commercial trucks have large blind spots. You are going to have to go through the blind spot to pass a tractor trailer. That is inevitable. Still, a trucker’s blind spot is not a place that you want to be. A useful rule is that the truck driver probably cannot see your vehicle when you cannot see the driver’s face in the truck’s side mirror. Once you begin passing, maintain a steady and lawful speed that allows you to move through the side blind spot as quickly as safely possible.

Leave Some Additional Space Before Returning Right, Back in Front of the Truck

Do not merge directly in front of the truck as soon as your vehicle clears its bumper. Continue forward until the entire tractor-trailer is visible in your inside rearview mirror, activate your right turn signal, and then return smoothly to the travel lane. The spacing matters because a fully loaded commercial truck may require an extremely long distance to stop at highway speed.

Get Help From Our Miami Truck Accident Lawyer Today

At Pike & Lustig, LLP, our Miami tractor trailer accident attorney is standing by, ready to fight for your rights. Hurt in a semi-truck accident on Florida’s Turnpike? We can help. Call us now for a free, no obligation case evaluation. With offices in Miami and West Palm Beach, we handle Turnpike crashes throughout Southeastern Florida.