Awareness Campaigns

2018 Sharing the Road with Heavy Vehicles

"You're no match for a heavyweight"

The 2018 campaign – "You're no match for a heavyweight. Keep your distance around heavy vehicles" – aims to inform road users about the safe behaviours to adopt around heavy vehicles given their special characteristics. The campaign particularly targets motorists and vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists.

For their own safety, all road users must exercise caution around heavy vehicles.

Near a heavy vehicle:

Avoid the heavy vehicle's blind spots, because the driver cannot see you when you are there.

Stay far ahead of or far behind a heavy vehicle.

Keep your distance, otherwise you will not see road signs and traffic lights in time or you will not be able to react to an unexpected situation.

If the heavy vehicle driver brakes suddenly, you will not be able to avoid a collision.
Be vigilant and stay far behind the vehicle.

Respect stop lines, otherwise you will take up space heavy vehicle drivers need in order to turn.

Stop your vehicle behind the stop line painted across the pavement.
If there is no stop line, stop your vehicle behind:
- the pedestrian crosswalk
- the spot where the sidewalk ends
- the edge of the roadway

Do not cut off a heavy vehicle driver, otherwise the driver will not have enough space to brake safely.

Wait until you can see the entire heavy vehicle in your central rearview mirror before merging back into the lane ahead of it.
After passing a heavy vehicle at 100 km/h, leave approximately six vehicle lengths between you and the heavy vehicle before merging back into the lane.

Right turns
Heavy vehicle drivers need a lot of space to turn. When you place yourself to the right of a heavy vehicle, you are in its blind spot and the driver can no longer see you.