Alberta Class 7 Practice

Commercial vehicles Being aware of large vehicles is crucial for the safety of all road users. Follow these tips to ensure safe driving when sharing the road with large vehicles: • Keep adequate space between you and large vehicles. • When you are behind a large vehicle, increase your following time and distance so your viewing area will be larger. • Never move into the space in front of a large vehicle that is approaching a traffic light. If the traffic light changes to red the driver needs that extra space for stopping. Moving too close to their vehicle may not give them enough room to brake and could cause a dangerous situation. Remember that a large vehicle needs extra distance to stop. • If you are on a hill and stopping behind a large vehicle, leave extra space in front of your vehicle. The large vehicle may roll back when the driver releases their brakes. • Large vehicles can spray debris, such as rocks, onto your windshield. Stay well back to avoid damage. • Be cautious around a large vehicle that is backing. If you are too close behind, the driver may not be able to see you in the rear view mirrors. • Larger vehicles have larger blind spots. If you are driving behind a large vehicle and cannot see both of its side mirrors, you are too close. If you can see the driver in the side mirror, then the driver can see you. • You will need more time in the oncoming lane when passing a large vehicle. Do not pass unless you are sure that you have enough time and distance to complete the pass safely. Some large vehicles are long and may pull more than one trailer. • Heavy commercial vehicles will require more distance to slow or stop. After passing one, leave extra room before you return to your lane in front of it. This also applies to changing lanes in front of one. • Heavy commercial vehicles require extra room to turn. When a large vehicle is turning to the right, stay well back and do not drive in the space on the right of the large vehicle. Your vehicle could be squeezed between the large vehicle and the curb or edge of the road.

Text extracted from the PDF for reference and may contain layout artefacts. The official PDF is authoritative.

Source: Driver's Guide: cars and light trucks, Spring 2026. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Alberta.