Quote:
Originally Posted by chbrules
I don't understand how a car cutting him off made him swerve and get into a fatal accident. The article wasn't really particular about that.
I hate people who speed ridiculously in heavy traffic, or especially on the streets. I will never street race someone, nor will I go nuts in traffic on the freeway.
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Ok, I DRIVE a rig (and a bmw in my off time
so..I will chime in with my 2c.
All of my scenarios are based on highway/freeway driving. The scenarios change on rural roads etc.
All scenarios are based on my PERSONAL history DRIVING a rig.
I AM NOT AN EXPERT. I do not pretend to be the be all and end all of rigs.
Cutting a rig off can result in a few different scenarios .
1. Car cuts a rig short/off ...Rig driver hits the "WOH!!" peddle hard(same thing that happens when your in a car...NATURAL reaction )and starts to jackknife. Rig driver can feel the jackknife coming and attempts to correct... (think of a jackknife as a VERY un-controlled drift...and we KNOW how close to the razors edge a drift can be even WHEN you WANT to do it) in correcting the jackknife the rig goes all over the road....thus wiping out a few other vehicles.
OR the rig driver just lets the jackknife happen and ...wipes out other vehicles on the road.
2. Car cuts the rig short/off enough that the rig driver has to swerve(another natural reaction...object in your way...you swerve around it..next time you do this in your car...see if you even THINK about it when you do it) ...using the "WOH !" peddle will not STOP the rig in time...he swerves and the momentum of the rig going at speed carries them into another lane of traffic(hope there isn't anyone in the lane...or it will be a slap shot at 55 ish mph )...at this point the rig driver can correct again and HOPE his trailer is behind him when he does OR he can let the jackknife happen and ...wipe out a few other cars along the way.
3. Car cuts the rig short/off and the rig driver just HITS the offending vehicle. Punting it into other vehicles but saving his rig..sort of . Because once the lawyers get involved the rig driver is DONE . He will be blamed for hitting johnny mustang and driving in an unsafe manor...it will be his fault Mr and Mrs Smiths innocent little choir boy is now a mangled mess of chunky salsa and American muscle. (By the way...this is what MORE THAN A FEW rig drivers are told...if you cant stop...DRIVE THROUGH the obstacle...be glad most of them of them DON'T do this)
I find this part to the kicker part of the latest link...
"A preliminary investigation has revealed that Virgoe's emergency manoeuvres prevented additional collisions, the OPP said in a statement.
After losing control in the northbound lanes, Virgoe hit the middle guardrail, then swerved back into the northbound lanes to avoid slamming into southbound traffic. The truck and tanker, weighing about 42,000 pounds, crashed down an embankment where he wound up pinned beneath his rig. "
I think "SELFLESS" defines the acts this man did.
This is a warning ...GIVE THEM ROOM and DO NOT PLAY around rigs...EVER!!