SALT LAKE CITY — Utah is currently in the thick of the 100 Deadliest Days and dangerous crashes continue to take lives and send Utahns to the hospital.
On Monday, two people were injured from a semi-truck rollover in South Salt Lake, while a cyclist was killed after he was struck by a garbage truck in Ogden. Another cyclist was killed by a garbage truck in Tooele on July 19.
This weekend, a person was killed after a semi-truck crashed at the Lamb's Canyon exit on I-80.
The crashes come with a harrowing reminder to never underestimate the power of big vehicles.
"It's a tragedy. It's tragic, it's sad on all sides of it," said Jeffrey Thompson.
Thompson is the lead commercial driver's license instructor at Tooele Technical College. They teach courses for both Class A and Class B vehicles.
"Every truck, whether it's a semi-truck or it's a class B like you're talking about, the garbage truck, you're going to have multiple blind spots," he explained.
"These trucks are heavy. Whether it's a garbage truck, dump truck, semi-truck, they take quite a lot of distance to come to a stop," said Thompson.
Thompson tells his students to have a safe distance and keep their head on a swivel.
"You've got to be watching your mirrors every three to four seconds when you're driving down the road," he said. "Doesn't matter what you're in. We even teach our students to start doing that in their personal vehicles."
Blind spots in big vehicles are called "no-zones," which are the areas in the front, sides, and directly behind.
"Be safe around them. Be more aware of what these trucks are and what they can do and what they can cause," said Thompson.
The Department of Transportation's program 'Truck Smart', found here, is all about public education. The program works with local truckers to bring semis to high schools to allow young drivers to learn more.
