Sharing the road
You are driving behind a large truck. How can you tell whether the truck driver can see you?
- If you cannot see the truck's side mirrors, the driver cannot see you. Correct answer
- If you can see the truck's brake lights, the driver can see you.
- Truck drivers can always see vehicles directly behind them.
Why
Large trucks have big mirrors and a better view forward, but they also have large blind spots, the No Zones, where a car simply disappears. The handbook's test is simple: if you cannot see the truck's side mirrors, the driver cannot see you. Brake lights tell you nothing about the driver's field of view, and the space directly behind a trailer is one of those blind spots. Keep well back, remember that a truck at 55 mph can need up to 400 feet to stop compared with about 300 for a car, and never move in front of one and slow down suddenly.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, DL 600 ENGLISH (REV. 6/2025). The correct answer is If you cannot see the truck's side mirrors, the driver cannot see you..