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SEMI-TRUCKS AND BUSES
Share the road: Alberta reminds motorists to be mindful of commercial vehicles
Mar 26, 2025 | 2:28 PM
Alberta’s government would like to remind drivers that large commercial vehicles like semi-trucks and buses are very different from personal vehicles, and that specific safety considerations should be kept in mind when sharing a road with them.
When driving near a semi-truck or bus, residents are asked to remember:
- Unlike personal vehicles, trucks and buses need more room on the road to operate safely.
- Large commercial vehicles take longer to stop than passenger vehicles because of their size and weight, as well as the condition and temperature of the vehicle’s brakes.
- Give semi-trucks and buses the room they need to operate safely by avoiding blind spots and not following too closely.
- Semi-trucks will usually swing slightly to the left before making a right-hand turn; do not assume the driver is turning left.
- Leave at least three metres between your vehicle and the rear of a semi-truck stopped at a light or stop sign, especially on a hill.
When a passenger vehicle collides with a larger commercial vehicle, occupants are more likely to be killed or injured due to the differences in weight, stopping distance and rollover potential.