If you ride behind a large truck, what should you do? If you ride behind a large truck, what should you do?

  • A. Stay fairly close and take advantage of the slipstreaming effect to reduce your fuel consumption

  • B. Ride fairly far back and in the middle of the road

  • C. Ride fairly far back and either on the left or right so that you can see the vehicle's side mirror

  •  
    The correct answer is C
     
    Correct. Staying back and ensuring your can see the vehicle's side mirror means that the driver can also see you.
     
 
 
 

Correct road position when riding a motorbike behind a large truck

If you ride behind a large truck, stay back and ensure you can see the driver's mirrors.

If the driver of a vehicle immediately ahead of you cannot see you in either the rear view mirrors or by turning their head you are in their blind spot. Trucks and large vehicles have more and bigger blind spots than cars and other motorbikes. Anticipate where other drivers’ blind spots are and avoid driving in them. For trucks, staying back and ensuring your can see the vehicle’s side mirror means that the driver can also see you.

Don't ride in the slipstream of the truck as this is too close. There will be a certain distance behind the truck where you will start to feel more buffeting as the air from either side of the truck swirls in a vortex and eventually it will feel like riding without a vehicle in front of you if you are far enough back. 

Select language

Suggested for you

    All languages