Teens' deaths remind us of danger trucks pose

I always hate to hear of teen deaths. But I have to ask a couple of questions. First, the right lane on the autobaun Is not the same as it is in the states. second, could you pass the test to allow you to drive on said road? Its a seprate endorsment. And how do you figure 130 mph is safer?

 

Here is some information to your questions;

• The Right Lane is the same as it is here in the States. All drivers are required by law to use this lane unless passing another vehicle.

• Pass a test to drive on the autobaun? They have stricter rules for getting you licenses in Germany. And I agree with all of it for the most part. No learning from a friend or family but from a certified instructor.

• There are no separate endorsements to drive the autobaun.

• I seen nothing in the article that said anything about driving 130mph.

One thing I will say is the drivers there have more respect for the other drivers. So driving at 130mph, which I have done from time to time, is not a big problem as the other drivers have respect.

Here is some more information about the autobaun:

• When passing you have ~ 30 seconds to make the pass before you are required to back off and get back in the right lane.

• You are required by law to leave at a minimum 50 meters/~150ft between you and the vehicle in front of you.

I lived in Germany for 15 yrs and also I have driven truck there. Max speed on the highway is 80kmh/50mph no exceptions. You get caught going faster and you will receive a fine. You don't fill out a log book, instead you have a paper disc that is placed into the tachometer that records everything. Time on Duty, Time off Duty, Driving Hours, Delivery Hours and Speed when driving. This disc can tell you down to the minute/mile what you were doing.

This isn't just Germany where this is but most, if not all, Europe. It's been 10 yrs since I was there and things might have changed but I would find it hard to believe that they changed much if anything at all.

 

I was rolling down I77 in Virginia. I saw a car PARKED at the end of an on ramp. I couldn't move over into the left lane because a 4 wheeler was mirroring me. these insane teenage girls pulled right out in front of me from a dead stop. the only thing I could do was swerve over onto the shoulder to avoid plowing into the back of them. as I got up beside them, I blew the air horn to try to get back over. they just looked over at me like "what's this crazy truck driver doing trying to pass me on the shoulder?" and I'm sure her friend was saying "yeh, I know, right?"

some people just don't realize how close they come do dying each day.

trucks are already prohibited in the left lane on a 3 lane hiway. and it's the LAW (not just a suggestion) to drive RIGHT, and pass LEFT. it was ALWAYS a 4 wheeler which would stubbornly REFUSE to move over to the right lane. maybe cops need to start pulling over ANYONE who is not driving in the right lane unless they're passing someone???????

 

I agree 100% with this. I wish they would start to enforce all the laws and not just the speeding laws, which it seems is the only one enforced anymore on our highways.

I would also like to see driving schools as a mandatory step in getting your drivers license. There are way to many bad drivers out on our roads today and bad drivers only produce bad drivers.

I would also like to see the driving age raised to 18. These kids today have no common sense and it is a shame.

 

I will take a bad driver in a 4 wheeler any day over a bad driver in an 18 wheeler and I have seen my share of both.

Only difference is most of the 4 wheeler incidents I have almost been involved n would have damaged my vehicle. Most 18 wheeler's would have killed me.........

 

This may seem harsh, but I calls 'em like I sees 'em.
E-Tee, with your attitude and admitted "incidents I have almost been involved in" -- I sure hope you remain a "wannabe" Big truck truck driver.

Statistics have proven that nearly 80% of Big truck vs automobile crashes involving fatalities are the fault of the automobile driver, not the Big truck truck driver. IMO, that's unacceptable. When are the automobile drivers going to wake up and quit putting all the blame on the Big truck truck drivers?!

Until you've driven a few hundred thousand miles in our shoes, you should refrain from judging Big truck truck drivers. The fact is, you just don't know the facts. The safety records for Big trucks is steadly improving year after year, and the number of fatality crashes involving Big trucks is declining. Can that be said of 4-wheelers?

We drive more miles in one month than the average 4-wheeler driver drives in a year. Yearly mileage for a Big truck is around 120,000 to 140,000 miles. Within 10 years, that's in the neighborhood of one MILLION miles, or more. What's on YOUR odometer?

What the statistics DON'T indicate is how many close calls are AVOIDED as a result of a Big truck truck driver's skills. And what's aggravating is when a Big truck truck driver actually prevents a collision with a 4-wheeler driver, their 'thanks' is, most often, having the 4-wheeler driver flip them off. You saved my life. Screw you. Some thanks, eah?

Forgive and protect them, Lord. For they know not what they do. But, they're alive to do it again. Will they? Probably. However, they may not be so 'lucky' the next time. It's a law of averages thing. Sooner or later, as in Russian roulette -- the hammer WILL fall on the loaded chamber. When it does, who will be blamed? Who SHOULD be? If you've assumed room temperature, what difference does it make who was at fault?
Gravestones cheer the living, dear, they're no use to the dead. (Nitty, Gritty Dirt Band)

Of all the components that go into building an automobile, the most dangerous is a nut. The nut behind the wheel.
ANY bad driver is dangerous! Especially one's with bad attitudes.

I doubt there are any Big truck truck drivers looking to become another statistic. Are they all good drivers? No. But they seem to have improved their records over all, more so than the 4-wheelers have. Fiddling with radios, CD players, talking on cell phones, watching DVD screens, fussing with the kids -- and inattentiveness and distractions, in general, seem to be occurring at an alarming rate. Driving requires TOTAL attention, not an afterthought.

Big trucks are providing a service -- delivering the goods and wares demanded by the general motoring public -- while the general motoring public is out joy-riding with no particular place to go. Yet the general motoring public wants to put more and more restrictions on Big vehicles doing a job. Is there ANY satisfying those who refuse to learn the rules of the road? Talk about road-hogs,.... it ain't the Big trucks, who the Interstate System was intended for in the first place, commerce, it's the 4-wheelers who think THEY own the roads and would prefer there be NO Big trucks out there in THEIR way.
Imagine that.

The idea and concept was that Big trucks and 4-wheelers could and should SHARE the roads equally. SAFELY. But it seems to have become an Us vs Them situation, now-a-daze. Give us a break -- we'll do the same.
Safety is NO accident.
I can live with that.
So can y'all.

Think about it.