Bisman Drivers Need to Practice Social Distancing From Semi Trucks

Yesterday, on my way home for lunch, I was driving on I-94, preparing to get off at my exit. While I was on the bridge, crossing the Missouri from Mandan to Bismarck, I saw a car pulled off on the right shoulder near Exit 157. As traffic was passing this car, the driver whipped back into the lane from their dead stop on the shoulder. In a matter of seconds, there was commotion and something could have easily gone bad.

As soon as I saw the little car pull into the same lane the semi was in, I began hitting brakes, hoping the person behind me would notice. The semi driver quickly pulled into the passing lane - thank goodness no one was in his blind spot. It was also fortunate that all the other cars in small cluster of traffic were aware of what was happening, because everyone was braking. Traffic nearly came to a screeching halt because of the driver in the car! But it could have been worse.

The driver who whipped back into traffic could have changed the lives of at least two people yesterday. And sadly, this kind of thing will continue to happen, and it will happen around semi trucks. Drivers NEED to remember that semi trucks are not like other, smaller vehicles on the road.

My dad and brother are both semi truck drivers. I have heard many stories about accidents they have witnessed as well as their own personal near-misses. They have always told me that it is important to respect the space of semi trucks because the driver cannot stop the vehicle in a split second. And one slip-up in front of a semi could mean the end of a life.

Give semi truck drivers their space on the road. They want to get home safely just as much as everyone else.