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5. Sharing the road with heavy vehicles

Sharing the road with heavy vehicles

You can share the road with heavy vehicles more safely by following a few simple tips.

Overtaking a heavy vehicle

• Allow sufficient time to overtake.
• Stay back at the recommended minimum following distance, without crossing the centre line, when preparing to overtake.
• When it is safe to overtake, indicate, accelerate and overtake quickly, without exceeding the speed limit. Changing down a gear may give you enough engine power to get past.
• After overtaking, maintain your speed because slowing down too soon will force the heavy vehicle to brake.
• Do not overtake a heavy vehicle at an intersection when it is turning, unless it is safe to do so.

Sharing the road safely with heavy vehicles

• Do not cut in front of a heavy vehicle because you will reduce the driver’s braking distance.
• Do not speed up when a heavy vehicle overtakes you.
• Do not tailgate a heavy vehicle, you cannot see what is ahead of it and you won’t be able to react in time.
• Remember that heavy vehicles accelerate slowly.
• When a heavy vehicle is turning, keep back from the intersection because the heavy vehicle needs more road space to turn than other vehicles.
• Give way to buses displaying this sign (left) when required to do so. 
• Heavy vehicles that show the sign DO NOT OVERTAKE TURNING VEHICLE (right) are allowed to take up more than one lane to turn. 
• If a heavy vehicle wants to pass you, do not speed up. Allow the heavy vehicle to maintain speed and pass safely.

Pilot vehicles

If a heavy vehicle is wider than 3.5 m, a pilot or escort vehicle will precede or follow it along the road. A pilot vehicle has yellow flashing lights and an OVERSIZE LOAD AHEAD sign on its roof. An escort vehicle has yellow flashing lights and yellow/white wig wag lights and an OVERSIZE LOAD AHEAD sign on its roof. In general, the bigger the vehicle and its load, the more pilot or escort vehicles it will have.

When you see a pilot or escort vehicle approaching with its warning lights flashing:

• slow down
• move over if necessary
• respond to gestures by the driver of an escort vehicle
• give way to the oversize vehicle.

Performance guidelines for pilot and escort vehicles and drivers are available for download here. You can also get these guidelines, along with the Critical areas and roads in Queensland map, by contacting The Government Bookshop at www.bookshop.qld.gov.au.