chapter 6 — sharing the road If you pass a large vehicle, or make a lane change in front of  one, remember to leave extra room before you pull in. Big  vehicles take longer to slow down. Make sure you can see the  truck’s headlights in your rear‑view mirror before you re‑enter  the lane, and maintain your speed once you get there.  If you see a truck starting to slow down well before a red light,  remember that the driver requires all of that space to stop in  time. Never move into that space — you could be rear‑ended.  Make room for turns  — big vehicles need a lot of room to  turn. When they turn right, you may be squeezed between the  truck and the curb.  You may also have a space  problem if you are on a  road that a large vehicle  is turning onto. The driver  may need to cross the  centre line or cut a corner  in order to complete a  turn. Again, keep your  distance.  Many of the back roads  of B.C. are logging  roads. Observe carefully  if you are driving on  one of these roads. Turn  on your headlights for  maximum visibility if your  vehicle doesn’t have  daytime running lights.  Be especially cautious  when approaching a curve  or a hill. Always yield to  logging trucks. Avoid being on the right of  a large vehicle if there’s a  chance it might turn right. Avoid turbulence  — big vehicles create turbulence that  can push you away from the vehicle or pull you towards it.  Turbulence can cause problems when you are passing a big  truck, or when you meet one coming toward you. Allow lots of  space on the side, and keep a firm grip on the steering wheel. Read vehicle language  — many large vehicles are equipped  with engine retarders that slow the vehicle down without the  use of brakes. Truck drivers also use their gears to slow down.  This means the truck or bus ahead of you could slow down  without the brake lights going on. Look ahead and listen for a change in the truck’s engine noise.  Watch for signs that a large vehicle is about to back up  — a horn or beeper, four‑way flashers or backup lights.  Signal well ahead  — if you are ahead of a large vehicle, signal  well before you slow down, turn or stop. Large vehicles need  lots of time to slow down. 91 Communication  driving tip