Trucker fired, billed by carrier after woman’s suicide attempt

EXACTLY! How often do you see any accident involving a truck that isn't blamed on the truck?

 

I have been thru different company safety meetings thru the years,and each time it was always encouraged to never swerve out of your lane or off the road. If you go outta your lane or crash your vehicle you can be considered responsible and insurance company or the law will make you liable,even though you tried to avoid a wreck or hurting someone. I guess the way they figure it ,it has to be right or wrong and if you leave your lane for any reason,you are wrong. Sounds weird but go figure,right?

 

I have been to 3 safety meetings, and school. ALL OF THESE taught, drive off road to the right if you cant stop. This was taught for all situations involving vehicles in your path, regardless of why they are there. It was taught that "it is better to hit something off the road than another vehicle" this was told to us that it was for our safety. Bullcrap....


the main reason companies teach SWERVING, is it is cheaper to give your family the 10k life insurance, pay for a truck and load, then it is to defend themselves against a MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR Lawsuit.

FACT is reguardless of fault, people and their families WILL sue if there is a fatality, REGARDLESS OF WHO IS AT FAULT.

NYS CDL training book also cited driving off road to the right, as a valid accident avoidance method, after braking fails.(not mechanical brake failure, but after braking is obviously not doing the job)

I came to the conclusion that I would never drive off the road for any situation not my fault. The only reason I would EVER ditch the truck, is if I was going to rearend someone...because that would be my fault.

My conclusion was further provoked after seeing a driver ditch his truck to avoid a car that crossed the median into his path. The truck rolled and the driver was seriously injured. Had he hit the little honda, he would have killed the occupants, but he would not have been injured most likely.

I am 100% out for #1. I dont care about you or your family, I am not hurting myself for someone elses mistake.



K

 

Hubby and I have talked about the ditch the truck or hit someone issue several times and he always says....I will take the ditch. I guess its all a matter of how things play out when it comes time to make the choice...JMO but I would think avoidance would be the natural instinct.

 

I am 52 years old, when I was about 18, I had the occasion to cause my friend to cripple himself, losing about 40% use of one hand. This was directly my fault, we were making trailers and worked in the machine shop.
To make a long story short, it took five years for my friend to recover completly, such as complete could be, after lot's of visits to a shrink. He insisted that I jion him at the doc's and I went along, this was the final visit for him and was about forgiving me for what I did to him. If you hurt somebody, it will change your life. I stopped living after the mishap, it screwed my head up real bad, if he had not come back to insist on that visit to the shrink, I hate to think of where my mind may be today. It's easy to say one thing or on another about running somebody down or hitting the ditch, if you decide to run 'em down, let me know and I'll say a prayer for you. For my friend, he lost more than me, he lost his hand, and his friend, I just lost a friend....drive55cat

 

I have to worry about myself. If someone comes across the median, why should I ditch the truck, and potentially kill myself. An 18wheeler when hitting cars is much safer than hitting a tree, culvert, bridge, etc. Most of the time injuries are non-exhistant, or minimal when a truck impacts anything smaller than another truck, at least for me the truck driver.

I will avoid an accident at all costs, by paying attention, using brakes to their full potential, moving to the shoulder(but staying on pavement)etc... I am not going to simply willy-nilly drive the truck off the road, if it comes between me hitting a person, car, suv, etc, I will hit it every time over hitting a tree, going into a ditch, or briving into a bridge.


K

 

Only if you let it.

 

rather live with guilt, than be dead after I wrapped 80,000lbs around a tree.


K

 

You want to know something truly amazing?

It's real easy here in the forums, to talk "oh I'm not swerving for nuttin'"
it's safe here........hell nothing in the way on the "roads" here.

Why not simply say "ya know I think in the above given situation, I'd like to think I would just header straight, but I will know when that situation comes..when I'm in it"

At least that would be an HONEST answer, but guys? Talk is real cheap and when that (should that) time comes, ............ well that's between you and your maker.

 

I've done it. Bambi jumped out in front of the F-800 rollback I was driving. BANG! 30,000lbs at 45MPH will send a deer flying.

My boss's questions, in order:
Anyone hurt? (Only the deer.)
Truck OK? (A broken headlight & deer blood on the push-bumper.)
Did you get the deer? (Uhh, no.)
Where are you, and can you stay there until I can get there for the deer? (SR 164, and I don't see why not. Could you bring me a headlight when you come, please?)