Please let me know if this was dangerous or not...

Actually, I think both of you are correct.

 

I agree.

However, if I see local TRUCK drivers slowing down or changing lanes for no obvious reason (yet), THAT gets my attention.

 

That action certainly makes me perk up, too. I'm sure it does with any experienced driver.

To give credit where credit is due, on rare occasion, a car will actually do something smart like ACCELERATING to highway speeds on the acceleration lane to merge onto a freeway instead of cowering on the shoulder with the car half over the fog line kicking up rocks and dust all the while.

Or...

Actually being patient and sane and positioning themselves BEHIND me one thousand feet BEFORE they exit to the right instead of having to speed up and overtake me leaving feet to spare in front of my truck as they make their idiot exit.

 

At the 24 second mark the car was already in the right lane and was slowing down to match the speed of the rest of them.

The truck got a bit closer than I like, but that's almost always the case. Dash cams are like convex mirrors and everything is closer than it appears.

I can't fault the truck driver and without more info can't say if I would have been passing them all or not. Was the front of the line in sight? Was this just a temporary thing through a metro area and most of the cars would disappear at the next exit? Or was this a case where the line went forever and getting in the left lane just meant he'd be 30 seconds further up the road when he caught up to the point where traffic was going that speed in both lanes and he was now the guy holding up the impatient ones behind him?

 

Simple answer if it looks dangerous it is dangerous. Snow covered road at an time is cause to ease up and work with traffic and not out run them. We all want to get home. Your choice is in your car or in a pine box.

 

The truthful fact is some driver over drive their truck. They think cause they have seen it they can anticipate what is going to happen. Man plans god Laughs. Its the thing you never see that cause accidents. Like snow fall in las vegas

 

There is another aspect of the behavior of the trucker with the dashcam that I have been thinking about for the last couple of days. It's the fundamental principal that when you are driving a big rig you should avoid getting into situations that can cause panic in other drivers.

In the dashcam video the driver continues at a rate of speed that leaves little margin for error. Did that truck driver know FOR A FACT the driver of the car making the lane change wouldn't panic as the chicken lights of a big rig are bearing down from behind?

No.

Let's take another common scenario. You are in a tight two lane construction zone with curves. There's a mega carrier in front of you going 15 mph under the posted construction zone speed limit. Is THAT a good time to over take a potential newbie on a curve?

I see a lot of self centered driving by "professional" drivers. Decisions that add a level of stress to drivers around them that they may not be equppequ to handle.

There are times when getting on the throttle to make a pass is the safest option. Then there are times when hanging back, leaving plenty of following distance, and allowing a more panic prone driver to sort things out is the right thing to do.

The OP video IMHO is a clear example of when the right choice is to hang way back, let the situation sort itself out, THEN ease back into the throttle is the correct choice... ALWAYS. If you ease it down and wait, then you would have PLENTY of time to avoid a collision if the merging car goes pinball off the guard rail.

 

Excellent point and something I wish more would think about.

Got behind someone going slow on a 2 lane last week, night time and snow covered. Knowing the road I knew it was going to be 20 miles before it opened up to 4 lanes. Winding road with few good passing areas and even if I could have passed I would have put them in a snow cloud. Very little traffic also. So I stayed back where I could see their tail lights but was in no way pressuring them.

About 5 miles along I see a big truck coming up from behind. They passed me but didn't pass the 4 wheeler and basically rode their tale for the next 15 miles. Why?

Again, not enough info to say too much on this video other than he was closer than I like but I've come to realize that applies to about 90% of drivers.

Here's one that is sure to get some comments about speed.

 

Normal winter driving for that AREA and traffic conditions .. the ops video has heavier traffic so it’s more prudent to pass slower