4 Wheeler Attempts Insurance Fraud Against A Semi-Pays The Price

Is taking the center really safe at that speed though? It worked out this time, but it could have easily turned out worse. I agree he probably made the right choice all things considered, but I don't think either option was good. He put himself in a bad situation by driving too fast.

 

Man, this video right here is EXACTLY why I finally broke down and got a dashcam.

I operate out of Central Florida; we have way too many douchebag drivers here who will race your truck, cut it off, ride in the blind spot for miles and do other assorted stupid BS around you. It's as if these people (who already can't drive to save their own lives) suddenly drop 10 IQ points when they get around a big truck. And, when they get into the inevitable crash, the first thing they want to do is point a finger in your direction - despite all the daredevil crap they were pulling around you just moments ago. Seen too many drivers here end up with tickets they didn't really deserve, and too many others skate out of citations they knew #### well they should've gotten.

If you haul freight here you had better have a working dashcam, because we have far too many jerks behind the wheel here.

 

The driver will and should be checked by safety or any decent driver he shows his video to. IMO A driver should atleast take responsibility of needing to swerve out of the lanes of travel on a local road. A local road, light heavy traffic. What if the SUV Would've needed to use that middle lane to go around the car to the right which hard braked on him, who's fault would it have been then. DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

 

And to boot, the driver changed lanes in a crosswalk. Still no excuse for the SUV driver but definetly not a good look for drivers abroad. The video could actually be his undoing as in reckless driving charges.

 

Running a dash cam doesn't actually prevent wrecks (and will do absolutely nothing to help if the wreck causes me to lose control somewhere dangerous, like a downgrade or a bridge or anywhere with hazards to the side), so my preference is just to watch for them at all times and to make any collision with the front of my tractor as unlikely as I possibly can. I don't let people hang out in my blind spots, match my speed while adjacent to me, or creep by slowly. Since I don't like getting cut off by others who also are desperate enough to pass to tailgate others who are also passing, and since I would prefer to pre-empt potential brake-checkers, "next to me" also includes about a full truck-length of space in front of me in any adjacent lane (even if it's an "exit" lane). If someone is passing, I make sure they pass, even if I find it necessary to use brakes.

 

I run into this a lot--

On flat ground a slower truck is following say 1/2 mile per hour slower maxed out against their speed governor behind me. Then the road grade does downhill now and the following trucker gets all excited that they can now go 2 miles per hour over the speed limit and catch up and appear to be going faster than I am at the actual speed limit still even though we are going downhill. So I see the road grade will be going back flat or slightly uphill ahead so I don't slow down to let this driver in front because all they are going to do is affect my speed which when they were behind me they had no affect on me. But they get in front I have to adjust to their overall 1/2 mile per hour less speed than mine and create about an 8 second following distance and go slower than I was going when they were behind me, which by the way was fine with them all the while they were behind me 1/2 mile per hour slower. But they just have this overwhelming princess urge to get out in front for some reason and lead the pack at their 1/2 mile per hour less speed.

I guess I could just pass them again and we can play hopscotch/leapfrog down the freeway all day speeding up and slowing down as to whoever was in front at the time burning extra fuel unnecessarily. But I feel the two passes (he passes me, I re-pass him) is double the time our rigs are side by side unnecessarily when I could have just kept my speed and the slower driver might realize he belongs in the back of the pack with his slower truck.

 

Or come to a safe , controlled stop.

 

No, dashcams (like ELD's) do not prevent wrecks. What they will do, however, is alleviate the game of "He said, She said" when the authorities and the insurance company start their investigations. Despite all the steps you take to prevent accidents, sometimes [stuff] happens anyway. Having that video evidence is key because, a lot of times, nobody wants to take the driver's word. Having an electronic witness is kind of like insurance: you don't want to ever have to use it but, if the unthinkable happens, you'll be glad it's there.

 

Not impressed by the truck driver.

Traveling too fast for conditions.

Good avoidance management, but should have reduced speed drastically following the encounter and let the idiot go.

The job carries certain responsibilities, primarily to be the better driver - i.e, the professional.