how hard is it to avoid an accident

[tropolis]

i got respect for the truckers out there having to deal with the idiots on the ride. i drive a small compact car and i have enough problems with people not moving over when i merge and cutting right in front of me. i imagine its 10 times as bad for a trucker.

not to mention the wide turns you have to make and all the headaches associated with that.

reading those threads about the NYC driver and the philly driver were crazy.

my question is have you been in an accident with your truck, or have you ever narrowly escaped an accident?

[DDCavi]

Leave a LARGE gap between you and any cars infront of you. On wide turns if a car is making it impossible for you too turn, just wait till the next light. Be safe and professional and youll be ok.

[zipy46]

Always Maintain 'the gap'

If the crap hits the fan and impact is coming make sure to

stay in your lane.

[TruckerChris]

We should have a day, once a year, that we get to "nudge" people like they do in nascar...

[Lunker]

i have enough problems with people not moving over when i merge
This is a constant problem I've seen with the merging traffic not realizing they have to yield to traffic they're trying to merge with, not getting up to hwy speed while merging or just plain unable to see around the cell phone glued to their left ear. I just stay in my lane and maintain speed if I can't move over for them. Sometimes they'll either slow down and fall in behind me or run into that fast approaching wall. Either way, I'm in the right staying where I am if I have to.

[BeauteousRot]

we don't avoid accidents, we prevent them.

( i hope!)

[DaveFromColorado]

the problem many drivers have is they don't realize it's their job to find a space, and match the speed of the traffic ALREADY on the highway - it's not the job of the people on the highway to let you in.

That being said, it's a pain to get up to speed with a truck that doesn't speed up as fast as a 4-wheeler, so watching for that opening is much more important - the only time I had a bit of a problem merging on a highway, another trucker slowed down and let me merge nice and smoothly. If I'd had a CB I would've thanked him.

Of all the drivers at my work, I'm the only one who hasn't even had an "almost accident" I've only been working for them for a couple months now - so I'm sure my time will come.

--Dave.

[Drew10]

Merging traffic can be a real pain, especially if travel lane traffic is unable to give way to the merge by moving over a lane. There are merge lanes that are exceptionally long giving alot of time for the ramp traffic to make the merge. To many times Ive seen the driver, regardless of ramp length, wait till its to late to look and see where to merge with traffic. (especially the ones who "cant see around their cell phone").
Even though the travel lane traffic should have the right of way, you still have to mind the merging traffic, If you do not avoid a potential accident, possibly by slowing down to allow the merge, but you just keep on a keeping like everything is good. If the merging traffic should collide with you or have an accident by hitting "the wall". You could still be charged with a preventable accident even though you are not a fault.
Always be on the defense...and remember, you never have the right of way, unless the right of way is given to you by the vehicle that doesnt.

[Windwalker]

i got respect for the truckers out there having to deal with the idiots on the ride. i drive a small compact car and i have enough problems with people not moving over when i merge and cutting right in front of me. i imagine its 10 times as bad for a trucker.

not to mention the wide turns you have to make and all the headaches associated with that.

reading those threads about the NYC driver and the philly driver were crazy.

my question is have you been in an accident with your truck, or have you ever narrowly escaped an accident?

I find that it all depends on just how determined the 4-wheeler in question is to get into one. If he/she wants to get into an accident really bad, it's nearly impossible to avoid it.

[Mackman]

When i drove vaccum tankers i was going down rt.202 south in estern PA. I was rubber necking at a girl next to me and when i looked up the cars where all stoped. :shock: I hit them brakes so damn hard i was empty so the trailer axles locked up smoke went everywhere. I went on the shoulder or i would have hit the car in front of me. My heart was beating so fast it was un-real. I didnt hit anything thank god. But if it wasnt for that open shoulder i would have been in trouble. Well thats my story.

[tweety bird]

IMO it's always the "professional driver's" job to be the proactive driver. The folks in the cars (again, IMO) are generally more dangerous- and it's our job to watch out for them- and, often, to watch over them.

I was really affected early in my driving carreer by a CTI solo-driver. She was a lady driver and had been training (I think- this is more than a decade ago...) and was a solo driver other than that.

My husband had been talking to her via the cb about the frustration of dealing with four wheelers and she told him that she felt sorry for them. Get that? Sorry for them!

She felt sorry for them because they were so uninformed. Sure- you can say they shouldn't be uninformed. But there's no denying that they are just that dumb! It really affected be because it's TRUE!

I look at how friends and acquaintances drive- they are ignorant of what's going on even though they think the are so aware! After driving a truck, you realize just how much is going on on the roadways around you.

If you're not paying attention- to the road and to the other drivers... if you go into auto pilot... you're just BEGGING for an accident. And, as a professional, it's your job to be more aware. For your sake AND for theirs.

So- pick away at this post. As I said, it's just my opinion. But when I encounter ignorant drivers (and road raged drivers, and speed demons...) I try to take control of my emotions and, well, feel sorry for them. I'm not going to let them wreck into me, but they're destined for a rude awakening one of these days.

Can't say I always hold my temper in check. But it's a lofty goal.

[Drew10]

tweety bird wrote:

So- pick away at this post.

Nothing to "pick away" at tweety bird. Your post is very good.
But IMO,

She felt sorry for them because they were so uninformed. Sure- you can say they shouldn't be uninformed.

The 4wheels and general motoring public, are informed, but in this "Me first" society, they refuse to conform and abide by the rules. (This also applies to some of the CDL drivers as well)

[Fourcats]

we don't avoid accidents, we prevent them.

( i hope!)

Got to agree...Its not avoiding the accident, its seeing and avoiding the things that occur BEFORE the accident. Simply don't get involved with it before it happens.

[Mr. Ford95]

Yep, nothing wrong with dropping off the throttle if you see something starting to go down in front of you. You've already broke your momentum and have your foot at the brake usually before anyone else knows what is going down since your up higher and can see over the cars.

As for the merging traffic that doesn't want to yield, I don't usually cut them any slack unless it's a truck. If I can get over then I do but if I can't I do what I can to accomadate them merging in. Sometimes I go right by them, sometimes they are able to hop on over in front of me, depends on how slow or fast they are going. I'm not going to slow down to 30 mph in a 70 though. The cars can find their own hole since they have more manueverability than us.

[Fancy_Maneuvers]

There are so many great responses on this thread; so I won't reiterate what's already been stated so eloquently :wink: -- or hilariously, as is the case of some others!

I'll mention that accidents are the bain of my existence. It wasn't long after I'd started driving that I realized how detrimental an accident could be to a CDL holder. I can't tell you my level of disappointment when I realized that a driver could do everything right and still have an accident... Earlier in my career, there were days when - after witnessing the aftermaths of truck crashes - I would park the truck and refuse to move. I was so afraid. And then as a driver, you meet other drivers and then you feel afraid for them, too! It's a constant state of fear for me..

And then...
One day, I decided that for every second that I'm on the road I would have to account for my actions. I'd have to drive for myself and for others. I'd have to make sure no one hit my vehicle and I'd have to do whatever I could to avoid hitting theirs..
Now, I say my prayers before I drive and as I drive. I say prayers for all of the other drivers out there. I thank my lucky stars (and God, of course) when I've made it to wherever I was trying to make it to -- since all I really wanted to do was my job, finish it and then get on the internet like normal people

It takes an absolutely *conscious* effort to be accident-free. Sometimes other people carelessly - and some even intentionally - try to make it impossible; sometimes it hits the fan... but a conscious effort has a great potential to reduce that likelihood. This is why it's so very important to learn to operate the vehicle as safely as possible when starting out..

I'll need to find some wood after I make this statement, but in four years, I've had MANY close calls but NEVER an accident on the road.

[Kaji]

we don't avoid accidents, we prevent them.

( i hope!)

Got to agree...Its not avoiding the accident, its seeing and avoiding the things that occur BEFORE the accident. Simply don't get involved with it before it happens.

I absolutely agree with that. See the traffic patterns and avoid things before they happen. That works in cars too.

The truth is, if you get caught in a situation where you can't stop in time and have no-where to go, you are going to hit whatever is in your way. In any kind of condition where you cannot see for miles ahead on flat road, speed is your enemy.

Always remember, no matter how much crap your boss or your customer gives you, they always, always, prefer you get there with cargo intact.

[RebelDarlin]

tweety bird wrote:

So- pick away at this post.

Nothing to "pick away" at tweety bird. Your post is very good.
But IMO,

She felt sorry for them because they were so uninformed. Sure- you can say they shouldn't be uninformed.

The 4wheels and general motoring public, are informed, but in this "Me first" society, they refuse to conform and abide by the rules. (This also applies to some of the CDL drivers as well)

You hit the nail on the head! You drive the Chicago area so you understand when I say they watch far too much NASCAR around here. On and off the Expessways they all drive like they're in the race.

They ALWAYS think they can "beat" a big vehicle cause it's slow, what they never seem to get is how long it takes to STOP a big vehicle. :shock:

[Phreddo]

i specifically avoid that Chicago stretch of 290 from 90 to the 294. i got rear-ended on that merge, and after looking at it, it's a bottleneck accident waiting to happen.

I'm very quick to hit the 4-ways if it even looks like traffic ahead of me is slowing or stopped.

[Drew10]

i specifically avoid that Chicago stretch of 290 from 90 to the 294. i got rear-ended on that merge, and after looking at it, it's a bottleneck accident waiting to happen.
Which merge would that be 90-290, 290-294....I run that stretch bothways quite frequently. Alot of the interstate merges are exceptionally poor, especially the cloverleafs that share the same ramp. ie 294N merging to 290W. Been driving into and out of Chicagoland for the last 6yrs, sometimes just passing thru, other times P/up and delivery in Chicago and Chicagoland. Them drivers are Psycho. Big trucks included.

I'm very quick to hit the 4-ways if it even looks like traffic ahead of me is slowing or stopped.

Remember learning in school 4ways is a way of "communicate" that a "hazard" exists. Either you are the hazard or you where approaching a hazard, and the traffic should use caution. However, actual usage of the 4ways seem to indicate to the motoring public to come around the vehicle displaying the Hazard lights. I use my 4ways when appropriate but I will then go into a very defensive posture and scan my mirrors vigorously for traffic that will attempt to come around me.
RD wrote:

You drive the Chicago area so you understand when I say they watch far too much NASCAR around here. On and off the Expessways they all drive like they're in the race.

Your right RD....and they put a whole new meaning to the word (W)reckless almost like they are trying to get into an accident.

Im not singling out Chicago and Chicagoland...as I know other major cities have the same issues as Chicago. Of the "major" cities Chicago is the city I see most frequently.

[Drew10]

Double post..... :x