What we’re doing / the experiment
How can we take existing opportunities and bring new elements of safety education to them across the Commonwealth with minimal invest in time and resources? We thought MassDOT’s District Touch-a-Truck events would be a great place to set up one portion of an intersection and explain the results. We modeled our event based on large truck education sessions held in New York City and our Empathy at the Intersection exhibit.
In June 2025, we hosted five simultaneous Truck’s Eye View events at MassDOT District Offices. The experience is built on The Direct Vision Study, an examination of blind zones of trucks in the Commonwealth. The study looked at 60 different trucks and calculated what a driver can see from the cab without the aid of a camera or a mirror. Our findings are alarming. 50% of heavy-duty truck drivers cannot see a child directly in front of them in the crosswalk and 90% of them cannot see a child in the bike lane.
We believe it is crucial to undertake public education on truck blind zones to increase awareness of how to move more safely around these types of vehicles. We have created a simple kit for organizers to include truck safety awareness as an integral part of touch-a-truck events.
Why we did this
Can we make a report come to life? Can we let others take the lead on sharing the knowledge it contains? Can we improve pedestrian and truck interactions on our streets? Bringing the results of the Direct Vision Study to families with young children in a controlled and fun setting helps them better understand how to navigate around large vehicles on our streets.
What we learned
Duct tape works best on dry and clean pavement. Adults prefer to get into the vehicle with their child. Minion cardboard standees bring about a smile and a selfie opportunity. And a little bit of tape and chalk can make a report come to life.
Each intersection took us roughly 45-mintues to setup with two team-members and the tape lasted for multiple weeks as our first events were rained out. Parents and children were most likely to get into the truck together and the secret spot rugs worked best for groups of 3 or more people where an adult could guide another child into the blind zone area. We heard from multiple participants how surprised they were about the lack of visibility and a few who asked what we can do about redesigning trucks. But the overwhelming response was a desire to replicate this in their own communities. Which is where we need your support!
Video: Truck's Eye View - setup
Skip this video Truck's Eye View - setup.How you can participate
We need your help in bringing these important safety lessons to more people. Do you want to raise awareness on truck blind zones and educate community members on how to move more safely around trucks? We’ve got just the right thing for you! We’ve prepared an easy-to-use kit for you to organize your own blind spot experiment at your local Touch-a-Truck. It includes a supply list, posters to print out, and instructions for setting up a fully MUTCD compliant intersection.
For the cost of a few rolls of duct tape and other optional supplies, you can run a Truck’s Eye View event at your next touch-a-truck. Download the kit guide or contact The Lab to obtain kit supplies at no cost.