Driving around a commercial motor vehicle can be intimidating.

So here are some safety tips to help you navigate safely around big trucks and buses.

·Large trucks and buses have huge blind spots around the front, back and sides. If you can’t see the driver in the side mirror, they can’t see you.

·Commercial motor vehicles and buses require extra turning room. If a truck or bus, has it’s turn signal on, never try to squeeze by it.

·Cutting off a large truck or bus is dangerous, as it takes 40 percent longer for them to stop than a car. When you see the whole front of their vehicle in your rear view mirror, it is safe to move into the lane in front of them.

Operation Safe Driver, a national campaign runs July 11-17, is meant to bring awareness to safety around commercial motor vehicles and buses.

Police will be watching for aggressive driving in and around commercial motor vehicles and will issue tickets to drivers committing violations.

This is a PennDOT funded project.

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Editor’s note: Tracy Fox is the traffic safety coordinator with Highway Safety Network. She can be reached at tfox@hsnetwork.org.