What is the truth about "wheel separation"?

no lawsuits. although i am also curious what the insurance rules truckers deal with too. if there was a method of eliminating wheel loss, would that give one a better insurance rate? am curious what the suits have been when it happens too. are you all paying for the huge lawsuits that have taken place even though it is rare?

i certainly cannot blame anyone for being skeptical or paranoid. it is tough to make it these days for us all and trying to make it better if possible. i am part of solution team. we feel facts are wise to gain to understand the true nature of a problem. we have identifies there is one, not sure how big it truly is.

 

my neighbors son owns a flying j in montana and he witnessed a death from a wheel separation at his store. here are some stats that i was curious about. the bottom line is, what is reported, and what is the truth is what we ultimately seek. if i am driving and pull in and didn't know i had lost a wheel, i get a new one and continue on with my business. would i report that? cannot say, but am seeking to know.

There have been nearly 90 reported incidents of flying truck wheels in Ontario in the past 14.5 months - more than half of them this year, reports a recent Toronto Star article. Such a high rate of incidence has prompted many agencies to crack down on truck drivers. Operators and maintenance groups in an effort to reduce the likelihood of recurrence. Despite all the recent media attention the problem of wheel separations is not new.
In the early 1990's, a U.S. organization called the National Transportation Safety Board prepared a special investigation into medium/heavy truck wheel separations. They reported that wheel separation accidents constituted about 0.3 percent of all truck accidents. From January 1989 to December 1991, fatal accidents resulting from wheel separations totalled 24, compared to 12,300 medium/heavy truck fatal accidents for the same period. Four fundamental causes of wheel separations were presented in the report; loose and overtightened fasteners, bearing failures, and disc failures. The causes presented were mainly attributed to improper maintenance and overloading.


got some very interesting videos i can post too if anyone wishes to view.

 

gotcha, thanks!

 

not sure what pic?? here are a few of the vids on this topic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npGDQ-_9kMI&feature=related man gets hit by truck tire while pumping gas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM50lWWBUPw Truck tire hits pick up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8YFr_yJ1I8&feature=related Truck loses wheel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cO9rgw03GI&feature=related Man almost hit by wheel

There are many more that involve fatalities and i do not with to remind any families of past tragedy.

 

your honesty is admirable, and i thank you! it seems there are several people who state that a while ago technology was not as good and has gotten better? that is this quest, to find the real truth of wheel separation. thanks again for your input and honesty, blessings, Dr. Mike