Indiana State Police Troopers are part of a federal effort to curb aggressive driving. The Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks Campaign aims to reduce the number of crashes involving commercial motor vehicles and passenger cars. State troopers will be part of the effort through Saturday, June 8. Troopers will be specifically looking for motorists who drive dangerously around semi trucks and other commercial motor vehicles. Some of the violations troopers will be concentrating on include unsafe lane changes, failure to yield the right of way, following too closely and aggressive driving. In many crashes involving commercial motor vehicles, the crash is caused by non-commercial drivers operating in an unsafe manner.
Indiana State Police encourage all drivers to follow these safety tips when driving around commercial motor vehicles:
- Allow plenty of space between you and the commercial motor vehicle. Drivers should allow one car length between their vehicle and the commercial motor vehicle for every 10 mph of travel or follow at least three to four seconds behind the semi.
- Stay out of the truck driver’s blind spot. If you can’t see the mirrors on the truck, the driver can’t see you.
- Always make safe lane changes around commercial motor vehicles. Use signals and leave plenty of space between you and the truck. It can take over 500 feet for a fully loaded truck going 65 mph to come to a complete stop.
- Always yield the right of way to commercial motor vehicles.
