Knowing how to drive safely around commercial vehicles like semi-trucks is an absolute must on Highway 40 and on roads throughout the state. For this very reason, the Utah Department of Transportation is using the Truck Smart campaign to educate drivers on how to safely share the road with big rigs. UDOT shares that in 2024, there were 45 commercial vehicle-involved fatalities on Utah roads, and there have been 6 such fatalities on Utah’s roads so far this year. In 75 percent of crashes involving semi-trucks, passenger vehicle drivers are at fault and responsible. Nearly 25 percent of all vehicles on Utah roads are large trucks. The Truck Smart campaign reminds passenger vehicle drivers of two main practices when merging and driving around large trucks: When passing or driving near a semi-truck, drivers should look for the truck driver’s face in their mirrors or even make eye contact with the truck driver. Also, before merging in front of a large truck, drivers should make sure they see the entire truck or both headlights in their rearview mirror before moving over. “Commercial vehicle drivers have far too many close calls every single day driving on Utah roads,” shares UDOT spokesperson Laurie Huntsman. “Truck drivers go through intensive training to earn their Commercial Driver’s License, with hundreds of hours of training. They do everything they can to keep themselves and other drivers safe; however, every driver on the roads also carries the responsibility of understanding how to safely drive near trucks to help keep our roadways safe.” Visit Trucksmart.UDOT.utah.gov to learn more.
