Accident Caused by Chicane

i dont have the foggiest idea of what you are talking about

i dont hate anyone

 

the root cause by your own posting is driver not driving safely for conditions
nothing else matters speed postings are only guides to use common sense
in all situations
trouble is common sense isnt verycommon when the 80000 lb truck needs protection
from the bridge worker

oh btw a couple weeks ago i snuck thru that minefield without noticing the deceptive ant trucking practices
of the company rebuilding the bridge for us to drive over

 

sneaking through there in the daylight, or sneaking through there in the daylight for the first time, then going through there in the dark afterward, might be somewhat easier than going through at night for the first time. Throw in a little rain and glare off wet roads.

Were the workers working at night? Lots of times I go through these lane reductions and bottle necks for miles only to find out they went home and they didn't bother to pick up the barrels. Maybe they could have removed the chicane at the end of the work day.

I was trying to pick a route for a' wide load a few weeks ago so I called the ON DOT to see what the width restriction was on a piece of road construction I knew was on my route. She told me there was a width restriction during the day but "they are required to remove the restriction at 4:30 pm and start again the next AM".

Call the DOT. Maybe your boys just got lazy.

 

It's those evil orange barrels. They get bored standing in the same place for too long, and like to move a little when nobody is looking. You also have some that are suicidal, and will jump in front of moving vehicles.


When you see those orange barrels or any other indication there is a construction area, you have to remember that anything can happen....including the lane being screwed up, or oncoming traffic knocking one of those #### orange barrels into your lane.
I don't give a #### if the cowboys backed up behind me are pissed off because I am doing the speed limit or lower when in or approaching a construction zone. I don't run a cb, but know some of them are cursing at me on the radio. I'll look in my mirrors and see them climbing up on my ###...and know they are pissed. If they can't handle a few minutes of minor inconvenience, they do not need to be driving a truck.
I'm sorry, too many big time truckers are just accidents waiting to happen. When they do have an accident that is due to stupid driving, it affects us all.

 

In posting in these kinds of threads, I've learned to expect a willful lack of reading comprehension when it comes to ideas that refute the protagonist's initial premise. I guess ignoring visual proof shouldn't be such a surprise.

Look again at the last few seconds of video: one can nearly see straight through to the exit of the second zig from the entrance to the first one! Hardly qualifies as what is being described as vicious chicanes that force dangerous and abrupt maneuvers to navigate. It took only a minimal amount of steering deflection to navigate safety, at the posted speed, with a fully loaded carhauler. I could have easily gone thru faster.

I understand feeling compassion for this guy who lost his truck, it really sucks. But this was not a booby trap scenario, in fact I've seen far worse cross-overs in interstate construction zones. Either he had a mechanical failure or it was driver error. The bridge company laid out this worksite with as large as practicable turn radii, good sightlines and signage. IT WASN'T THEIR FAULT!

 

It is called the Smith System. Its based for defensive driving and SAFETY. In a construction zone and your worried about impeding traffic. Get real man. You are a truck driver and safety is supposed to be a priority. Be safe out there drivers.

 

in the koolaid and dont know the flavor

no one was talking about impeding traffic in construction zones, though some drivers do (speed limit 45, they do 30)

you guys act like sloganeering invented safety, i see more trucks with "safety is our priority" doing some of the most unsafe things

slogans dont make a road safe, driving safely does and millions of drivers do that without the constant lecturing

 

The Smith system is a way to easily teach and remember habits that good drivers do anyway, whether in a truck rolling down the freeway or hustling a bike down some curvy backroad. It's all about being ahead of your vehicle and aware of your surroundings. A huge percentage of stupid newbie tricks happen because the noob was operating in information overload mode and was "behind" the truck operating in a completely reactive mode rather than a "I saw that coming" proactive mode.

There is no sloganeering; if you use those principles of the Smith System, you'll be a better driver, PERIOD. And if you're an excellent driver, you use them subconciously and automatically. If you think it's all hooey? Says a lot about your supposed abilities.

 

I suppose this was directed at me.

Your video, while I commend you for your efforts, I must say it left me in suspense. Like a good thriller, it had me on the edge of my seat until the very end and then...well, I am still waiting for the sequel I guess.

With regard to your comment about reading comprehension, there seems to be alot of that going around. If you look back to the original post, a question was asked whether or not the construction company should be liable. I was only suggesting possible ways in which the principle's might help determine that for themselves. Look for a way to share the blame if you like.

Finally, you are in no position to determine fault. That is way above your pay grade. That is a job for the court. For all you know, they didn't even have a permit to block the road, or the permit may have been for a different width restriction, or maybe they were supposed to remove it at night. You just do not know.

 

riding 2-3mph slower than the flow of traffic, in the middle lane to become "a rock in the stream" as is taught by the Smith System made me realize it is a bunch of hooey

yes, a good driver drives within his abilities and always keeps space and a way out, its something that comes with time and experience and if you have a good teacher to shorten the learning curve

and he does not impede the flow of traffic merely because he believes "Safety is our #1 priority"