WB I10 near Palm Springs 11 Dead Tour Bus versus Truck

I think it's been established that the truck was barely getting started after being stopped for construction block. The bus was barreling through right as the backup was just getting cleared out. At least that's how I'm beginning to understand the situation. So there easily could have been a 50-70 MPH difference in the two vehicles with nobody speeding and no issue of differential speed limits.

 

Everything said up to this point indicates a lack of situational awareness on the part of the bus driver, provided there is not a medical reason/event yet to be determined.

As to using this tragedy to bash SWIFT further, I find it irresponsible and despicable.

 

Its in california. Speed limit for commercial trucks is 55

 

No we need less regulations not more. What we need is some legislation that makes the people that sit in the glass towers at mega carrier incorporated that hand the keys to the gimps equally criminally responsible as the drivers, then things will change, because when someone's ### is on the line, they tend to pay a lot more attention.
I tell people everyday, " Hey man were not in combat here. It's just a job. No one needs to get hurt or worse."
It's all about paying attention. And when your ### is on the line, you pay attention.
The authorities need to enforce the current rules for getting a CDL, not make more. Companies having their own " In House " testers, rather than making everyone go with a state tester for getting their CDL IS A GIANT red flag. I run into guys all the time that don't speak English.
And you can sit in any mega orientation and they will tell you " safety first ", and pretend to choke on tears whilest they show you a video where one of their gims obliterated someone, because it cost them a lot of cash, not because they care, they are crying do to the monetary loss, and it's all crap. It's safety first as long as the load isn't really critical.
No, you start to put some CEO's ### on the line, criminally, things will improve.
That's also why street justice is a valid form of justice. Because that is what it is, justice, not a legislative curtain that fat cat's who's God is the almighty dollar hide behind.

 

Nah. I never need a reason to bash mega trucking. In the words of our Forefathers, " We hold these truths to be self evident."

 

Well, you are a hard runner, how come you haven't obliterated anyone?

 

So suppose you hire a driver. He's stopped at a red light when a drunk hits the rear of his loaded trailer at 90 mph. Dead on impact. Should we throw you in the hoosegow because YOU hired a driver who happened to be involved in a wreck where somebody died? You've only got 1 or 2 trucks, so that's a pretty big percentage of your fleet that has been involved in a "fatal" wreck.

Take a step back and THINK about what you're saying and the ramifications that would follow if we allowed that sort of legal precedent to be set. Do you enjoy driving somebody else's truck? Start throwing truck owners in prison over ridiculous crap like that and nobody is going to be willing to hire anybody else to drive their trucks.

Yes, I said ridiculous. Stuff happens, and there is an inherent risk involved in driving a car, truck, horse, plane, boat, or even a bicycle. Imprisoning somebody over something that may very well be beyond their control is BS. Unless you can prove that they INTENTIONALLY place individuals behind the wheel with the knowledge that they are LIKELY to kill someone, you simply don't have a case. Having 25,685 trucks on the road and only involved in 56 fatal wrecks (at fault or not) in a 2-year time span isn't going to prove your case. If they were a 100 truck outfit with 56 fatals it would be a different story...but for as big as Swift is, it's actually pretty GOOD that they ONLY have 56.

 

Just FYI........Our office writes the coverage for both the bus and believe it or not the truck that got hit.....we have the entire $ 5MM limit.........Ouch! Single unit owner operator we covered since 2008.......no underwriting issues, nor losses since we went on risk.

 

"... even if the facts get in the way."