Something needs to be done with truckers

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: MrQuackers
One thing that really irks me is the ones that hold up traffic for miles and miles when you can't pass, and the moment there is a passing lane they can magically drive 10 miles per hour over the limit and you only have a limited time to pass them. Are they that bored?



There's that... but one that annoys me even more is someone (usually a passenger vehicle) pulling into the left lane to pass a truck, and then slowing down as they pass the truck rather than maintaining speed, causing the left lane to stack up. One of the mantras that was pounded into my head in drivers' education was "maintain your speed during a pass."

Actually, failure to maintain a steady speed is one of my biggest beefs about drivers in general, and no I'm not talking about trucks that can't pull a hill as fast as I can. I'm talking about driving the table-flat expanses of I-10 and coming up on a driver running a little slower than me in the right lane, so I pull left and pass... then 3 minutes later the same driver flies by me on the left... then 5 minutes after that they're running slower than me and I have to pass them again. Last summer I counted *four* cycles of this with a particular car over about a 50 mile stretch, and we were practically the only vehicles on the freeway at the time!



That's a classis example of people not using their cruise controls...I see that a lot too....speed up, slow down, speed up, slow down...

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: grampi


That's a classis example of people not using their cruise controls...I see that a lot too....speed up, slow down, speed up, slow down...


Its possible to drive at a steady speed without cruise control... if you're DRIVING and not daydreaming, yakking on the phone, watching a movie, fixing supper.... :-/

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: grampi


That's a classis example of people not using their cruise controls...I see that a lot too....speed up, slow down, speed up, slow down...


Its possible to drive at a steady speed without cruise control... if you're DRIVING and not daydreaming, yakking on the phone, watching a movie, fixing supper.... :-/



Or performing open heart surgery. That sort of thing requires concentration! You shouldn't expect them to drive in straight lines when performing such duties.

 

[gman2304]

Our 2015 Volvo tractors are setup so they won't run but 60 mph without the CC engaged. In order to run at the governed speed of 65 mph the CC MUST be engaged. It's contradictory to what the owners manual says about not operating the CC in heavy traffic or bad weather, but if we want to run 65 mph we must engage the CC. Along with a computerized voice telling you that you just over revved the engine when it only revved to 1700 RPM's [because our safety dept wants them set up that way] and the Volvo factory redline is 2200, or telling you that you just got a speed warning for going 67 mph in a posted 70 mph zone, the frustration of driving an 18 wheeler these days is huge. The days of 'pedal to the metal' trucking are a thing of the past and we're not better off or safer for it.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: grampi


That's a classis example of people not using their cruise controls...I see that a lot too....speed up, slow down, speed up, slow down...


Its possible to drive at a steady speed without cruise control... if you're DRIVING and not daydreaming, yakking on the phone, watching a movie, fixing supper.... :-/



That's the problem...drivers today don't pay much attention to their driving, they've got too many other things going on, and most of it involves a cell phone...

 

[gman2304]

February 14th 2013 : The Federal Motor Carriers Association along with the Highway Traffic Safety Administration looked at 6,131 fatal car-truck crashes over a three year period 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2007 and 2008 cars were assigned fault in 85% of car-truck crashes. The number dropped to 81% in 2009.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: gman2304
February 14th 2013 : The Federal Motor Carriers Association along with the Highway Traffic Safety Administration looked at 6,131 fatal car-truck crashes over a three year period 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2007 and 2008 cars were assigned fault in 85% of car-truck crashes. The number dropped to 81% in 2009.


What's your point?

 

[javacontour]

One point may be that truck drivers at fault is rising.

I agree, it's still the automobile drivers fault 4 out of 5 times.

But it has gone from the auto driver being at fault in 6 out of 7 to 4 out of 5 times.

Meaning, for this short sample space, auto drivers appear to be getting better, while truck drivers appear to be getting worse.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: gman2304
February 14th 2013 : The Federal Motor Carriers Association along with the Highway Traffic Safety Administration looked at 6,131 fatal car-truck crashes over a three year period 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2007 and 2008 cars were assigned fault in 85% of car-truck crashes. The number dropped to 81% in 2009.


What's your point?


I think it kinda reaffirms the theme of the thread. Most truckers work hard, most incidents start with cars, but trucks are starting to cause more incidents as more rules, constraints, and limitations are placed on the hardware and the drivers as well.

I cannot imagine driving a vehicle that is freaking GOVERNED to run at a speed so far below the typical freeway speed, let alone the increasingly common speed limits of 75 and 80 (the highest I know of being 85 on one of our local toll freeways). A vehicle running 10 mph below the limit is every bit as dangerous as one running 10 above, and now you have a mix of vehicles running 10 above and 10 below as well. Not a safety advancement at all!

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: grampi

What's your point?

That the average car driver will be involved in over 4 crashes for every one truck driver? Or looking at it another way car drivers are to stupid or unskilled to be on the same roads as trucks? In either case it bodes ill for car drivers.

Was that too tough to figure out?

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: Al
Originally Posted By: grampi

What's your point?

That the average car driver will be involved in over 4 crashes for every one truck driver? Or looking at it another way car drivers are to stupid or unskilled to be on the same roads as trucks? In either case it bodes ill for car drivers.

Was that too tough to figure out?


I don't see how these stats are related to what I've been seeing more and more of by truckers...is it dangerous for truckers to be holding up passenger vehicles while they take 5 mins to overtake another semi, or driving in the far left lane? Probably not, but they are unnecessarily impeding the flow of traffic. I wonder how many accidents between cars and semis occur because people are trying to get around these truckers who are holding everybody up? Now THAT would be an interesting stat...

 

[gman2304]

Don't forget, truck drivers aren't the only ones who camp out in the left lane. I see gramps in his Buick as often, if not more so than trucks holding up traffic.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: Al
Originally Posted By: grampi

What's your point?

That the average car driver will be involved in over 4 crashes for every one truck driver? Or looking at it another way car drivers are to stupid or unskilled to be on the same roads as trucks? In either case it bodes ill for car drivers.

Was that too tough to figure out?


Given the fact that there are probably MORE than 4 cars on the road for every truck at every instant of time, I don't think it says that at all.... not even close.

 

[javacontour]

Probably cancelled out and then some by the annual mileage driven by each population.

There few auto drivers who would reach over 25k miles/year.

An over the road truck driver would easily exceed that less than 3 months.

It has as much if not more to do with the number of miles driven by each as it does the number of each type of vehicle on the road.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: Al
Originally Posted By: grampi

What's your point?

That the average car driver will be involved in over 4 crashes for every one truck driver? Or looking at it another way car drivers are to stupid or unskilled to be on the same roads as trucks? In either case it bodes ill for car drivers.

Was that too tough to figure out?


Given the fact that there are probably MORE than 4 cars on the road for every truck at every instant of time, I don't think it says that at all.... not even close.


If you read my post a little closer it has nothing to do with number of cars vs trucks on the road....

EACH car/truck crash involves ONE car driver and ONE truck driver. Thats why I said the AVERAGE CAR Driver....

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: javacontour

It has as much if not more to do with the number of miles driven by each as it does the number of each type of vehicle on the road.

As I said EACH accident involves ONE Car Driver and ONE truck driver. And Each accident (involving ONE car driver and ONE truck driver) finds in more than 4 out of five times its the car driver's fault. That has nothing to do with the number of miles driven or the number of cars vs trucks on the road.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: grampi


I don't see how these stats are related to what I've been seeing more and more of by truckers...is it dangerous for truckers to be holding up passenger vehicles while they take 5 mins to overtake another semi, or driving in the far left lane? Probably not, but they are unnecessarily impeding the flow of traffic. I wonder how many accidents between cars and semis occur because people are trying to get around these truckers who are holding everybody up? Now THAT would be an interesting stat...


They have just as much right to be there as you do. Same as Amish buggies and bicycles on surface streets. Share the road.

 

[HTSS_TR]

How many times did anyone saw a truck drivers crossed 4-5 lanes within 400-500 feet to exit highway ? Many cars did that everyday, they camped out on leftmost lane going slower than traffic then suddenly changed 4-5 lanes to exit.

 

[Nate1979]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
How many times did anyone saw a truck drivers crossed 4-5 lanes within 400-500 feet to exit highway ? Many cars did that everyday, they camped out on leftmost lane going slower than traffic then suddenly changed 4-5 lanes to exit.



+1 By and far cars are far more dangerous on the roads. Let's worry about the big problems and fix the stupid car drivers. Truck drivers may do some annoying things but they are far safer drivers than the idiots on the road texting, putting on makeup, reading, talking on the phone, etc.

Driving in the left lane holding up traffic as they try to pass another truck is a serious issue? Really? People need to quit being cry babies, stop worrying about the small things and try and stay alive by dodging the texters on the road. Geez....

 

[mjk]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: gman2304
The OP has a huge Jones for truckers, and starts a negative thread about them quite often here.


That's because I spend a lot of time driving on the highways and having to deal with these doosh bags all the time...


And they probably think the exact same thing about you.

Since it's obviously a huge concern for you, what have you done other than make useless discussion forum posts about the issue? Discussed it with your local lawmakers? Brought up the issue with your local highway patrol? Or are you one of the majority who choose to do nothing more than sit around and gripe?



The irony of YOU posting something like this, is mind-boggling.