Another cdl driver does a u turn resulting in a fatality

To newer truck drivers: This happened at 4:45 AM.

As someone who has been a night driver for a looong time. When I pull out onto a road from a pad I always have the external cab lights facing the trailer on. It costs you nothing and is a good habit.

Some will say anyone doing a U Turn is an idiot. I’d suggest that if you are going to do a U Turn at 04:45, and it’s dark, the lesson here is to always turn on the external cab lights, even if you see no other traffic.

 

I wonder if there is a FL reg for trucks though. Because just looking at the satellite view there’s no way a truck is making a u turn at either of those lanes in the pic without going off the pavement. The “truck friendly” ones I’ve seen in other states all widen the shoulder on the opposite side to give trucks enough room.

 

That's a good idea, but if they didn't see the trailer all lit up, probably wouldn't notice the cab lights
4:45 am, you say? Let's take this a step further, I say, the 4 wheeler was running late, ironically maybe on the way to work at a Publix, just got up, catching up on messages in the car, like they've done many times, looked up, and WHAM! I'm not sure what's to decipher here, and why was the Publix driver making a U turn in the 1st place? I mean, they go to the same stores every day, something fishy here. One thing for sure, it wasn't pretty and no truck driver should have to see that.

 

And it’s a Publix truck, that family will win a huge lawsuit.

 

I highly doubt it. Publix has too much political clout in Florida. I doubt if we will ever hear about this again. Publix will give the family a big chuck of money and all is forgotten.

 

Well, now that you opened the can of worms...I have to agree with you. It probably took a good 6 or 7 seconds for that truck driver to achieve that position. So what the hell was the 4-wheeler doing? That is an ETERNITY for reaction time. That being said, the truck driver should have NEVER attempted this. He was in a DAY CAB and he STILL couldn't make that turn. If this buffoonery keeps up, the politicians are going to step in and regulate us further. Freakin' MORONS.

 

Once again........me personally, I wouldn't have tried that U-turn. That's even less space than the one innthe previous thread. The driver made an error in judgment. I know all you blood thirsty vultures who hate so much about the industry nowadays want to put it all on the driver. Once again, the driver of the car had a hand in the result. Y'all mean to tell me that the 4 wheeler didn't see this massive vehicle? For that to happen, the driver of the car was speeding and not paying attention to the road, and I'm sorry to say, but just like in the other thread, neither side is blameless here.

 

The funny thing is, I see so many members that gripe about folks hating truck drivers in other threads. I've seen gripes about how truckers are unfairly punished in certain situations, but then these types of situations lack objectivity. The ones that solely blame the truckers for these types of results sound like those blood thirsty attorneys, or the support groups that want to rid the highway of truckers.

 

Yeah, I just don't get it. Being truck drivers themselves, you would think that they would at least look at both sides.

 

I don't get it either. Some of these folks act like they've never had a misstep out here on the road. None of us got into the industry knowing everything about every situation. We still don't know everything out here, and that's why we are still driving. It's so many drivers that say they've never done this or that. I just roll my eyes at the self righteousness.