Safety Message from the Local Trucker

[Michael Morris]

STAY OUT FROM IN FRONT OF A RIG!!!!

Three times this week I've been cut off and had to ride the brakes to avoid impact. It's a scary experience for me even though I'm likely to survive the accident - the driver of the car is not. Consider the following.

1) A fully loaded 80,000 semi-truck going 30 MPH strikes with 2.4 million pounds of force. For your typical 3000 pound car to have the same impact it would have to be travelling 1,600 MPH, or well over twice the speed of sound!

2) The energy released in this collision is roughly equivalent to 10 sticks of dynamite. (I'm sure pbartender or another scientist who frequents this board can give a more accurate units related calculation).

3) A truck going 60 MPH needs 333 feet to stop - compared to 233 feet for a car. So even if you and the truck driver hit the brake at the same time, if you're in front of the truck you could get hit.

4) When trucks hit cars hard they ride up and over them, most of the time, crushing the occupants.

Please, please, please keep this in mind, because neither I nor any other truck driver wants to have a fatal accident with a car on their conscious. Get at least 100 feet (truck length and a half) in front of a truck before returning to the lane in front of it. In heavy traffic do not be eager to get into the space ahead of the vehicle - that space cushion is needed to bring the vehicle to a stop. In general stay far, far away from these vehicles if you can.

Large trucks can KILL you.

EDIT: And this goes quadruple if you're on a motorcycle. One of the fools who cut me off this week was on a bike. Note that NO ONE in the last 5 years has survived hitting a truck with a motorcycle - such an accident is 99.9% likely to be fatal for the cyclist.

 

[Harmon]

Thank you for pointing this out. Most don't know or realize this information is true.

 

[nerfherder]

Yeah, I treat the space around a truck - especially in front and either side - very carefully. If I'm on a motorway and going to overtake, then I like to make sure I can make it all the way past quickly, rather than be stopped alongside by the vehicle in front. I don't want to end up in a truck driver's blindspot. I never pull in right in front of a truck, and I make sure I indicate early when I am going to pull in.

I'm not paranoid about it, but I treat trucks with extra respect. Actually, I treat motorbikes with extra respect too, as I know how soft and squishy the "crumple-zone" on those things is...

Cheers,
Liam

 

[Truth Seeker]

STAY OUT FROM IN FRONT OF A RIG!!!!

Three times this week I've been cut off and had to ride the brakes to avoid impact. It's a scary experience for me even though I'm likely to survive the accident - the driver of the car is not. Consider the following.

1) A fully loaded 80,000 semi-truck going 30 MPH strikes with 2.4 million pounds of force. For your typical 3000 pound car to have the same impact it would have to be travelling 1,600 MPH, or well over twice the speed of sound!

2) The energy released in this collision is roughly equivalent to 10 sticks of dynamite. (I'm sure pbartender or another scientist who frequents this board can give a more accurate units related calculation).

3) A truck going 60 MPH needs 333 feet to stop - compared to 233 feet for a car. So even if you and the truck driver hit the brake at the same time, if you're in front of the truck you could get hit.

4) When trucks hit cars hard they ride up and over them, most of the time, crushing the occupants.

Please, please, please keep this in mind, because neither I nor any other truck driver wants to have a fatal accident with a car on their conscious. Get at least 100 feet (truck length and a half) in front of a truck before returning to the lane in front of it. In heavy traffic do not be eager to get into the space ahead of the vehicle - that space cushion is needed to bring the vehicle to a stop. In general stay far, far away from these vehicles if you can.

Large trucks can KILL you.

EDIT: And this goes quadruple if you're on a motorcycle. One of the fools who cut me off this week was on a bike. Note that NO ONE in the last 5 years has survived hitting a truck with a motorcycle - such an accident is 99.9% likely to be fatal for the cyclist.

Maybe a large Neon sign would help, geez, some people are just plain dumb.

 

[Uzumaki]

My dad's a trucker. Has been forever, though I've never gone with him on a dropoff, so I sorta know how to treat them when they're on the road.

However, I just got back from a road trip a few months ago, and I was very disturbed (not to mention P.O.ed) by how recklessly some big rig drivers haul around those juggernauts. Driving 90mph down a windy, curvy 6% grade is not an option when you are responsible for 50 tons. I was behind a a semi when his brakes exploded as we were cruising down a tiny 2-lane mountain road. Sucked.

 

[Gnarlo]

Maybe a large Neon sign would help, geez, some people are just plain dumb.

Just took a couple of games of Car Wars to make me stay the hell away from any of those monsters.

 

[Michael Morris]

My dad's a trucker. Has been forever, though I've never gone with him on a dropoff, so I sorta know how to treat them when they're on the road.

However, I just got back from a road trip a few months ago, and I was very disturbed (not to mention P.O.ed) by how recklessly some big rig drivers haul around those juggernauts. Driving 90mph down a windy, curvy 6% grade is not an option when you are responsible for 50 tons. I was behind a a semi when his brakes exploded as we were cruising down a tiny 2-lane mountain road. Sucked.

I didn't state that there were no bad semi drivers. Just the other night I called the police on a jerk driving down the road at 70 with two missing tires.

 

[Nightcloak]

One Road Warrior to Another

STAY OUT FROM IN FRONT OF A RIG!!!!

As someone who use to drive truck and now runs a truck company I cannot agree more with Spoony Bard. It is out right scary how some people drive. Some days I think the cars should get saddled with the log book requirements

However, I just got back from a road trip a few months ago, and I was very disturbed (not to mention P.O.ed) by how recklessly some big rig drivers haul around those juggernauts. Driving 90mph down a windy, curvy 6% grade is not an option when you are responsible for 50 tons. I was behind a a semi when his brakes exploded as we were cruising down a tiny 2-lane mountain road. Sucked.

Yea, there are a few bad drivers out there, but please remember that 75% of all Truck vs. Car accidents are the fault of the car. Drivers have one tough job watching those rigs and everyone else.

Take care out there SB.

 

[Krieg]

It seems that every second Enworlder claims to be a trucker. Whether or not any of them actually are, of course, is anyone's guess. 'Tis the nature of the internet: "Prentending to be BJ McKay and his best friend Bear!"


---Sorry, I just had to.

 

[Nightcloak]

It seems that every second Enworlder claims to be a trucker. Whether or not any of them actually are, of course, is anyone's guess. 'Tis the nature of the internet: "Prentending to be BJ McKay and his best friend Bear!"


---Sorry, I just had to.

Thats Ok.

Just don't call me a "Good Buddy" and were good