Want Truckers opinion

Kanman ....I don't think this could have been put any better. Great post....Hope dw200 is reading these...especially this one. However, dw200 seems to be unwavering in taking any of the blame. But like you said, it happens all the time, and these folks don't thinks it's a big deal to pull out in front of a big truck when they are going much slower than the truck.....that is, unless you were to plow them over with your truck. Then it's time for the BLAME GAME to begin...if they live to do it.

 

I'm too new to trucking to comment much on the mindset of a trucker, however, I spent a few years in the insurance business investigating insurance claims, so that still colors my interpretation of things. Allow me to play Devil's Advocate...these are some things a claims investigator would look at if a collision had occurred...[/quote]

Heeheehee! We'll come back to this...

It "appeared." So, you weren't sure? You weren't SURE when you changed lanes? Especially in front of a tractor-trailer? At an intersection with a stale green? Knowing that a tractor trailer will also have to stop?

We're back to part 1. If I were reviewing your claim, I would stop you right here because you've told me what I need to know. See below #1

Yes, but you wouldn't have to be stuck in the right lane behind the slowpoke who was "...crawling as if they were lost or not sure if they were turning." What was left of you would be pried out of what was left of your vehicle.

Think about your numbers. If the "...trucks (sic) headlights were 200-300 feet behind me" then how could go "through the red light that had been red for at least 5 seconds"? Well, which is it? If s/he was only 200-300 feet behind you when you changed lanes, then s/he would have reached the light much sooner. In that case, it would "appear" that, in spite of your diligence, you may not have left enough room for the truck driver to believe s/he could safely stop. If you are interested, please the DOT website for tractor-trailer stopping distances. If the truck was going that fast, the truck would have needed 400-500 feet to safely stop in optimum conditions. If the truck driver did run a five-second old red light, then yes, you observed reckless driving and should report the driver. See below #2

Was that a rhetorical question? How many times have you seen a tractor-trailer driver act as you described? Not enough times to assume that it is "common practice", I hope! If the answer to your question was yes, then the motoring public would have more to fear from the FedEx/UPS/ Box trucks and bike messengers than tractor trailers.

Again, this is only my observation, so please do not be offended. I am viewing this from a liability standpoint (and hindsight is 20/20 and if there had been a collision, LE would be using a snow shovel and liability wouldn't mean much to you or your loved ones). There are two things that stand out. #1) You stated in the beginning that you were changing lanes because you were approaching an intersection and wanted to go around the slow car in front of you. What that tells me is that YOU wanted to make the light. #2) Your judgment of the tractor-trailer's distance/speed behind you and the time it took the tractor-trailer to reach the light is inconsistent. A motorist is required to act in a "reasonable and ordinary" manner and even if you did that and the truck driver was totally irresponsible, those two observations leave room for post-incident interpretation. There are three sides to every story: What A saw, what B saw, and what actually happened...

I am glad that you were not injured when this truck driver apparently acted irresponsibly. Please do not assume and judge that every driver (trucker or passenger) is irresponsible based on the actions of a few. If I witnessed what you did, at the very least, I would have reported the truck to the trucking company but more likely I would have called 911 on my cell phone.

 

Excellent Post LKat!!
And seen from an angle most of us would prefer doesn't become necessary --- from the eyes of the Insurance Industry.

I've marveled at how accurately an "accident" (read "crash" or "assident") scene can be investigated and cause and effect be determined.
After years OTR, and coming upon the scene of serious crashes, it's usually pretty easy to understand what happened.

In the case here, the 4-wheeler driver claims to have been able to accurately determine the DISTANCE the Big truck was, but claims an inability to determine closing speed. I think that's a conflict. Ultimately, it's EVERY driver's responsibility to know that information before making a maneuver.

I don't envy your job, LKat, so I try to avoid any reason to send you any paper work.
I figure that's the least I can do.
And in the long run, maybe the most, too.

Thanx for contributing how it looks from your view.

 

Just goes to show you what appears to be the mindset of the typical 4 wheeler. they do something, relatively minor, not thinking about the size weight of the vehicle or vehicles behind him/her. The truck or person behind them has to react somewhat erratically to correct for someone else's minor mistake. But they are the A-holes. How dare they not know what I was gonna do before I even know and not already been in the correction phase, that stupid stupid truck driver shoulda done better in his mandatory mind reading class! absurdity. I dont understand why this person asked for an opinion of the situation, and when the opinion was given that he might possibly have made the FIRST mistake, everyone is wrong, he KNOWS what happened. even thinks alcohol might have been a factor. he throw a can out the window and it hit your car? or did you smell it on his breath at 70 miles an hour...in the dark? was positive that truck driver was speeding, but as the law obeying citizen who wouldnt dream of running a red light wouldnt also dream of speeding himself. the slow car might have been the only one in the situation not speeding. If you cant see head lights closing in on you in your mirror, you certainly cant even begin to guesstimate someone's speed. Learn from YOUR mistake, be thankful that driver wasnt distracted long enough to not even notice you stopped, let alone was able to maneuver around you without hitting you, someone else, or wrecking himself in the process

 

it takes a loaded semi about a football fields length to stop(300ft). even if he was 200 or 300 ft away at 55 he may not have been able to avoid you. be careful approaching intersections. if you see a semi that close behind you, in my opinion you should wait and let him pass. this way you can safely change lanes and if the light changes you won't have to worry about getting slammed by a brick wall. the motoring public does not understand how long it takes for trucks to stop...and when they change lanes in front of a truck approaching an intersection, they are asking for a death wish. whether it is or isn't your fault.. you should think twice before moving over in front of truck going that fast. it's a matter of life and death no matter who's at fault.

 

"He's" a she, Mack --- but your message is right on.

I wonder if many 4-wheeler drivers realize that no matter WHO'S at fault when another driver is injured, or worse, how that effects all involved? I don't want to even try to imagine what it would feel like if I was driving a Big truck and crashed into a smaller vehicle.
Man-0-MaN!
That'd haunt me for the rest of my life.
I don't need that.

**And thanx for fixing my quotes in that post of mine above.
I appreciate that.
Yes I do.**

 

You made a qoute about it not being rocket science... Well it must be to you. ( I am a 4 wheeler) YOU NEVER pull in front of a trucker that close to a light period. I do not care if the trucker was going the speed or not... how many 4 wheelers are not going the speed limit and run red lights. DO NOT act as if 4 wheelers act so perfect on the road. In the state I live in, North Carolina, there is a delay when one light truns red til the other lights turn green. Also truckers that are not able to stop safely have the right to run the red light. Period that is why there is a dely in light change which is also for 4 wheelers, but the police do expect the 4 wheeler to have enough time BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT CARRYING AS MUCH WEIGHT BEHIND THEM. First before you claim that a trucker should have had enough time to bave stopped you need to drive one with the maximum weight in it and see how fast you can stop that trucker, then run your mouth.................. Learn more about driving. Plus if you changed lanes and then the light turned yellow and you stopped that would mean you changed lanes in FRONT of a truck that would have been to close to you for them to have stopped without hitting you. i really mean no harm to you but, if the trucker would not ALWAYS be presumed at fault he should have hit you to show you how stupid it was.

 

wouldn't be surprised. Anyway, you mentioned that you were approaching an intersection.....that's the key point. You can just as well wait until you get thru the intersection to change lanes....much safer. Other than that... be careful and that's about it.