Every commercial truck has large areas around it where the driver has limited or no visibility. These areas are called no-zones, and driving in them significantly increases your risk of a serious accident. In this video, board-certified attorney Marion Munley explains where truck blind spots are located and why understanding them matters.
What You’ll Learn
- Where the four no-zones are on a standard tractor-trailer
- Why the right-side no-zone is the most dangerous — and why passing right is risky
- How far behind a truck the rear no-zone extends
- How no-zone arguments are used in liability disputes after a crash
A standard tractor-trailer has four major no-zones. The front no-zone extends approximately 20 feet in front of the cab. Because of the height of the cab and the length of the vehicle, truck drivers have limited visibility directly in front of them. If you cut in front of a truck and brake suddenly, the driver may not be able to stop in time.
The rear no-zone extends up to 200 feet behind the trailer. Unlike passenger vehicles, trucks have no rear window and no rearview mirror. If you are following a truck and cannot see the driver’s mirrors, the driver cannot see you. The simple rule: if you cannot see the mirror, you are in the no-zone.
The right-side no-zone is the most dangerous. It spans roughly two lanes on the truck’s passenger side, from the cab back toward the rear of the trailer. Passing a truck on the right is one of the most common causes of serious side-swipe accidents. The left-side no-zone runs along the driver’s side from the cab backward, typically spanning about one lane — smaller than the right-side blind spot, but still a meaningful area of limited visibility.
Understanding these zones matters because trucking companies and their insurers routinely argue that an accident victim was at fault for driving in a no-zone. Knowing where these zones are — and demonstrating that the truck driver failed to check mirrors, signal properly, or maintain a safe following distance — can make the difference in a liability dispute.
Speak With a Truck Accident Lawyer
Munley Law is the only firm in Pennsylvania with three board-certified truck accident lawyers. We have recovered over $1 billion for injury victims, including a $26 million verdict for a client who suffered a brain injury in a tractor-trailer crash and $19.8 million for the family of three killed by a distracted truck driver.
Contact a truck accident lawyer at Munley Law for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win.
