Semi-trucks or 18-wheelers are a common sight, especially on highways. Commercial trucks transport goods and materials all over the country and often drive on freeways because they have higher speed limits and offer more direct routes.
Many motorists find it intimidating to share the road with vehicles several times larger and heavier than their own, especially when traveling at high speeds. Semi-trucks are relatively difficult to operate, making them prone to major collisions. Their large blind spots, wide turns and extended stopping distances make them a constant source of risk for others.
Some people try to avoid semi-trucks by passing them and staying to the left on multi-lane highways. Unfortunately, sometimes people encounter semi-trucks driving in the left lane, giving them few options for navigating safely around those vehicles. Can semi-trucks legally drive in the left lane?
Staying to the right is the safest for semi-trucks
There are typically two main reasons that best practices for semi-truck operation include staying to the right. State law generally requires that 18-wheelers travel in the right two lanes of traffic on multi-lane roads unless they need to pass other vehicles, exit on the left or complete a left-hand turn.
Blind spots are one of the reasons why semi-trucks should stay to the right whenever possible. There are large blind spots around the trailers of semi-trucks. Typically, that blind spot extends to one lane to the left of the truck but two lanes to the right of the truck’s trailer.
Speed limits are also a factor. On roads with higher speed limits, semi-trucks may be subject to a lower overall speed limit than smaller vehicles. Semi-trucks that stay to the right allow those traveling at or over the speed limit to overtake and pass semi-trucks quickly and safely. The semi-truck’s operator should only drive in the left lane as necessary based on upcoming maneuvers or the need to pass a slower-moving vehicle. Otherwise, they could cause a crash by being present where they should not be.
In cases where semi-truck drivers break the law and then cause commercial vehicle crashes, the people affected may need to seek compensation. Pursuing an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit can help people recover the expenses generated by 18-wheeler collisions.