The Source for Trucking News, Opinions and Trucking Jobs | Trucks vs Cars

I got an interesting email the other day, asking my opinion about Mini Coopers. Do we (as truck drivers) have trouble seeing them since they’re so small? The simple answer is - It’s not what you drive around big trucks, it’s HOW you drive around big trucks. Ask any truck driver and you’ll here stories about being cut-off or passed then the car puts it’s brakes on or dashes to the next exit. You never hear what kind of car it was, it’s the behavior that’s dangerous.

Then I see this article in the Kansas City Star saying what we’ve known for years -

Kansas City Star | 01/19/2006 | Trucks, cars share road – and responsibility.
A study of 109 wrecks in Kansas from 1994 to 1998 showed trucks were at fault about 28 percent of the time, said Capt. Dan Meyer, coordinator of the Kansas Highway Patrol’s motor carrier safety program. Similar percentages have been reported in Washington and Wisconsin.

So why are trucks labeled the culprit?

“When a truck is involved in a crash it’s more often than not deadly,” Meyer said. “It’s severe injury, death and destruction. And when people drive by they just naturally take the assumption that it had to be the truck’s fault.”

Sgt. Bruce Clemonds of the Missouri Highway Patrol said trucks can be singled out for blame because they’re so visible.

“It’s easy to see what they’re doing wrong versus what a Volkswagen is doing wrong,” he said.

But, Clemonds added, “It’s not always the truck driver that’s causing the problem out here.”

The other 72% is the four-wheelers fault. And there’s a good chance the wreck is going to be fatal for obvious reasons. The article is pretty good, CRASH gets it’s two cents in. Also from the article a few suggestions when driving around big rigs -

KEEPING SAFE AROUND BIG RIGS

? Don’t linger in a truck’s blind spots and avoid driving to close.

? Avoid passing large vehicles on the right side.

? Always signal intentions ahead of time.

? When passing, look for the whole front of the truck in your rear-view mirror before pulling in front. Don’t slow down.

? Maintain at least a 4-second following distance behind a large vehicle. An average passenger car traveling at 55 miles per hour takes about 130 to 140 feet to stop. A fully loaded truck can take 400 feet to stop.

The only thing I would add is don’t pass then slow down in front of me. Especially while going down a hill. You don’t know what condition my brakes are in! (Mine are great, but you never know). Just not a good idea. Anyone think of anything else???j

Here’s a 2004 post I wrote with more details from a different study.

Newsflash! All truck drivers aren’t perfect! When encountering a truck that’s tailgating, speeding, or just being an idiot, STAY AWAY. You might be going the speed limit, you might be right, but hit a truck or get hit by a truck and the odds are someone is going to die. (Hint: It’s probably not going to be the truck driver) Give in, move, get out of the way, don’t die to prove you’re right. Move, then report them. I have no problem with drivers reporting bad truck drivers.