The Commonwealth's Large-Vehicle Safety Initiative
Why it Matters
Large trucks are essential for our economy, but their size and design can create significant blind zones, making them particularly dangerous for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users (VRUs). In the United States, large trucks, while only 4% of registered vehicles, were involved in 8% of pedestrian fatalities and 11% of bicyclist fatalities in 2021.
Massachusetts is taking concrete steps to improve roadway safety by addressing a well-known risk: serious blind spots associated with large trucks. Under An Act to Reduce Traffic Fatalities (Chapter 358 of the Acts of 2022) law, the Commonwealth now requires heavy vehicles (gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more) that are leased, purchased, or operated under contracts with the Commonwealth to be equipped with modern safety devices. These include lateral protective devices (LPDs or “side guards”), convex mirrors, crossover mirrors, and backup cameras.
These devices help prevent severe crashes involving VRUs, such as pedestrians and cyclists, by reducing the risk of side underride, improving visibility, and giving drivers better awareness of their surroundings. Complementary research from the Lab @ MassDOT and U.S. DOT Volpe Center on vehicle blind zones showed that among heavy duty vehicles measured, in 90% of them, a driver cannot see a child in a bike lane and in 50% of them, a driver cannot see a child in the crosswalk. Addressing this issue is important to achieve MassDOT’s safety goals, along with better vehicle equipment, vehicle designs, and safer infrastructure.
How MassDOT Will Track and Drive Implementation
To ensure these safety measures are adopted on required vehicles by the December 31st, 2025 compliance deadline, MassDOT has set up a certification and tracking system. Commonwealth agencies and contractors must certify compliance (or request waivers) using an online Truck Safety Devices Portal managed by the RMV.
The portal allows the Commonwealth to efficiently process and track vehicle certificate submissions by issuing approvals, requesting revisions, or granting waivers, with the average case resolution under 2 days. While the allowance of waivers acknowledges that not all vehicles have the current capacity to comply with the new safety standards, safety remains a priority; out of 264 waivers requested, only 26% were approved.
As of December 8th, 2025, there are 365 compliant vehicles across multiple state agencies and dozens of contractors.
To complement the implementation of the law, MassDOT also rolled out “Truck’s Eye View” public-engagement events. In a simple intersection setup modeled on real crosswalks and bike lanes, participants (including children and families) can sit in a truck cab and experience firsthand how visibility works from the driver’s perspective. Partnering with local organizations at their "touch-a-truck" events helps raise public awareness and builds support for design and policy changes.
