In partnership with the Ministry of Transportation and the Ontario Trucking Association.

• Tips for drivers of large vehicles
• Tips for cyclists
• What all road users need to know

Tips for drivers of large vehicles

Cyclists play an important role in urban transportation.

1. Do not squeeze a cyclist between your vehicle and the curb.
2. Change lanes, or straddle the lane at low speed, to pass a cyclist.
3. Cyclists may travel faster than you think. Watch for bikes.
4. Beware that off-tracking on right turns creates large blind areas to the right.
5. Monitor your side mirrors on turns.
6. Respect the cyclist's right to the road. Drive cooperatively.

Tips for cyclists
Large vehicles play an important role in the transportation of people and goods.

1. Stay out of blind spots. Do not ride beside or close behind and never cut in front.
2. Never pass a right-turning vehicle. Stop behind it and wait, or pass in the next lane if it is safe to do so.
3. Do not leap-frog (continually pass and be passed by) a large vehicle. Wait a moment to create distance between the two vehicles.
4. If you can't see the driver's eyes, the driver can't see you.
5. Do not hold on to, lean on, or attach to any vehicle.
6. Respect that large vehicles are different than cars. Cycle cooperatively.

What cyclists, drivers of large vehicles and all other road users need to know.

• Weight:

  • Trucks on Ontario roads are allowed 10,000 kg/per axle up to a maximum of 139,000 lbs, gross vehicle weight (GVW).

  • In contrast, bikes weigh about 30 lbs + cyclist's body weight.

• Width:

  • Trucks in Ontario are allowed a road width of 2.3 metres /102 inches without a permit - excluding mirrors - which means they need a full lane to operate.

  • Cyclists need at least one metre from the curb and one metre from a passing vehicle.

• Length:

  • The maximum length of a combination AClass A/Z vehicle on Ontario roads is 23 metres (74 feet). Large vehicles like this need lots of room to turn safely.

  • An accepted rule in trucking is that for every 10 feet of vehicle length - the driver needs one foot or road space, away from the curb, to complete the turn.

• Turning:

  • An experienced truck driver will use lane closure (crowd the curb) to shut down the right side of his/her vehicle to bikes and small vehicles before making a right turn, then they must swing out away from the curb to allow the truck rear wheels to track or complete the turn.

• Noise:

  • Truck cabs are an incredibly noisy environment. Diesel engines, road noise, heavy loads, and two way radios, etc. each contribute to high noise levels in the cab.

  • Cyclists: Do not expect the driver of a large truck to hear your bell, horn, or voice.

• Blind spots:

  • Reduced visibility and blind spots to the side, rear, and directly in front of the large vehicle is the driver's biggest challenge. A cyclist could be in great danger if they travel through or stop in a truck driver's blind spots. If you can not see the drivers eyes, the driver simply can not see you.

• Ontario Trucking Association: indepth information about sharing the road safely with trucks
• Toronto Bicycle/Motor-Vehicle Collision Study: information on all types of collisions

This safety issue and many others are explored in detail in CAN-BIKE courses offered by Parks, Forestry and Recreation.