Two serious 18-wheeler crashes today...time to control the trucks?

[MindPilot]

In my daily commute of about 30 minutes each way on a Socal freeway, it seems like there are more and more trucks every day.

I also notice that it seems like every time I hear the phrase "Sig Alert" on the traffic report the words "big rig" are not far behind.

I understand there are some municipalities that limit trucks on major arteries during drive-time. Anyone live in any of those places, know how and if it works?

[dhinojosa]

1. Nah, it takes two to tango.

Cars, SUVs, and small trucks who cut in front of big rigs are also to blame.

[Warpy]

9. I was just about to say that

Show me a big rig jacknifed on the interstate, and I'll show you some clueless yuppie cruising on down the line, gabbing on his cell phone, oblivious to the fact that he cut a semi off and caused a huge accident.

Most truckers on the interstates when I did my cross country drive a year and a half ago were wonderful, considerate drivers who gave my battered pickup truck a break whenever they could. I counted the assholes in semis I ran into: three. I lost count of the assholes in SUVs.

The only change I'd make to long distance hauling would be to include some sort of waste disposal units in those trucks, units that could be drained when they stop for fuel. Sorry, guys, but those plastic jugs full of rotting pee next to the interstate are JUST PLAIN GROSS.

[Zenlitened]

2. Time to create humane conditions in the trucking industry.

The drivers are human beings, not robots -- at least for the present.

[ComerPerro]

6. I think that's exactly the problem

The lack of humane conditions, that is.

Not the fact that they aren't robots.

LOL

[Zenlitened]

10. From what I've heard and read, the only way to make a living as a trucker

... is to become a sleep-deprived speed-freak. The pressures on the drivers seem have gotten completely out of control. But hey, I can buy cheap shit I don't really need at Wal-Mart! :eyes:

[ComerPerro]

12. That's all that matters!

[merwin]

3. Truckers are generally good drivers. I would blame it on dumbass

SUV owners :-)

[sam sarrha]

7. I agree.. it takes over 100 yards to stop a truck at 60.. dont pull in

in front of them .. an unloaded truck can take 250 yards to stop dependong on conditions.

if you change lanes to pull in front of them as they are stopping and fill up their stopping space, say at a light/etc, they will contenue on through you.. they need that space to stop.. or if you are merging onto a freeway and dont want that truck in front of you so you zoom up RIGHT in front of him then slow down suddenly they just cant keep from killing you.
I made the decission that if a driver pulled in front of me in trafic and created a situation where i was going to kill him or swerve and kill someone else.. the FOOL in front was going to die.

and it nearly happened ALL THE TIME.

[sam sarrha]

4. when they started allowing the trucks out of Mexico drive anywhere here..

and they dont have to go home.. the DOT found 96% of them unsafe.

the very next day the inspectors at the border in El Paso were reduced to 2.

probably a lot of the Mexican drivers do not have to have the same driving test or road tests.. just their home town license they got for a bribe.

the trucking industry is just SWEAT SHOPS on wheels.. Swift Trucking when i worked for them had 20,000 drivers with a 120% annual turnover of drivers.. My trainer {i had driven before} was a nut case.. he hadn't taken a shower in a month and we didn't get out of the truck for another 3 weeks... he smelled like road kill and had gangrene on his feet from trench foot. he wasn't a good driver but had to keep rolling because he had signed a predatory lease on a truck.. I bailed on him.. he couldn't keep it on the road.

[MindPilot]

5. Wow! Sounds like a good subject for a documentary filmmaker eom

n/t

[shraby]

8. I think the length of time they can drive in one

stretch was extended just recently.

[RebelOne]

11. Here in the Atlanta area, there is at least one

overturned or jack-knifed truck per day on the major highways.

[CC]

13. Though not all

truck drivers are as safe as they should be (they do come out of the general population) the majority try to be as safe as they can. Having sat in the cab of the truck watching cars go around them on the right side (even if they have to go off the road to do it). Hurry to get in front of the truck only to slam on their brakes, ride in the blind spot, cut them off etc. it amazes me there aren't more crashes. And it isn't only SUVs. It them, big cars, little cars, motorcycles, anything on the road. It all goes to people in general thinking the road belongs to them and everyone else should stay out of their way. It only takes one idiot to leave a trail of crashes in his/her wake.

Also, slamming your brakes on right in front of a truck is called suicide by truck.