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Trucker Explains What You're Doing Wrong on the Highway

popularmechanics.com

31–34 of 34 posts

Re: Trucker Explains What You're Doing Wrong on the Highway

#31
post #17

Where I drive (UK), truck drivers are by far the worst drivers on the road. Many of them are from Europe and used to driving on the right side of the road, not the left side in the UK. If this was the only issue it would be bad enough, but truck drivers in general have some very dangerous and nasty habits I see every day, without fail, while driving. The biggest issue is overtaking of slow trucks by other trucks. Tru…

Where I drive (UK), truck drivers are by far the worst drivers on the road.

It might vary by state, but in general in the USA truckers nowadays are pretty well behaved. IMO.

But go back 50 years and they were insane. They were usually the fastest vehicles on the road. They'd blow by you in the fast lane almost like you were standing still. Also truckers had licenses from multiple states and/or fake licenses. So they didn't care much if they got tickets. And if there were restrictions on how many hours they could drive, they weren't enforced. So, not only were they crazy, they were tired or strung out on pills. And the sides of the highways were littered with the carcasses of retread truck tires that happened to disintegrate with depressing regularity.

Trucker behavior really changed a few decades ago when the Federal government got more serious about enforcing various laws. E.g. time limits and not allowing truckers to have multiple licenses.

So then the worst drivers were the morons in SUVs, yakking on cell phones, oblivious to the world. Why should they care, they're in a giant SUV so they're invincible, right? Whenever I spotted a driver drifting around in his lane, or speeding up and slowing down erratically, the odds were at least 80% that a cell phone was involved.

It's gotten a lot better now, because many states have made it illegal to use a non-hands-free cell phone in a car.

Re: Trucker Explains What You're Doing Wrong on the Highway

#32
post #2

Having known someone who was crushed to death by a trucker rear-ending their car in stop and go traffic: truckers should never tail-gate.

I once saw something quite the opposite. Some ditzy woman in a tiny car changed lanes right in front of a huge tractor-trailer. It was an urban situation and a light just ahead just turned red. So she immediately braked.

The cut-off truck behind her slammed on his brakes and swerved into the other lane and jackknifed in a huge cloud of tire smoke. But he did it, his cab wound up beside her and totally missed her car. He didn't turn her econobox into a grease spot.

I was too stunned to remember what happened afterward. But I think the woman just obliviously drove off when the light changed. She never realized just how close she came to dying that day.

Re: Trucker Explains What You're Doing Wrong on the Highway

#33
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because he had to explain a situation where a driver in front of him caused a very dangerous situation and felt he had to respond in that way? As much as I love driving, there will be many improvements when we don't have to drive to get to our jobs and things anymore. I'll get to go and play on a race-track, sure; but I won't have to be all hands on deck at 8 or 9 in the morning with everyone else who woke up 30 minu…

The truck driver caused the dangerous situation by tailgating. There's no right to drive at the speed limit, and certainly no justification for causing danger when another driver is annoying you.

Actually you can ticketed in many places for slowing down traffic for no reason.

Re: Trucker Explains What You're Doing Wrong on the Highway

#34
post #29
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They also have a shit load more training than most of the other vehicles you mentioned and generally drive slower.

They'd arguably be safe if they drove at 30kph, in dedicated and isolated lanes. But at 100kph, they are far too dangerous.

...and that's where the conflict with usability comes in. The whole JIT-delivery economy (which is most of the economy, these days) would go down the drain if you suddenly slowed it down three times. Also, 30 kph gets you horrible mileage and emissions with current engines.
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