Share The Road

The girl driving this car was trying to light a cigarette while getting on the freeway, ran off the road into gravel, lost control and hit a semi. She survived.

Having criss-crossed the country several times, I am still amazed at the way four-wheelers drive around big trucks. Truckers understand that their rigs are big, slow and can slow other travelers down. After all, truck drivers don't drive big trucks all the time, when we're home we are four-wheelers too. I drive a Ford F-150 4x4,  Nathan drives a Honda 1500 SE motorcycle, and we also have a Ford Ranger. We live in the boonies and often have to follow log trucks for miles before we're able to pass. It can be frustrating to drive five or ten miles an hour below the speed limit, or whatever self-imposed limit one might have, but trying to outrun or pass carelessly just isn't a good idea. Eighty thousand pounds vs. four thousand pounds--guess who's going to lose that one!

Here are a few simple rules to help us all share the road and be just a bit more friendly:

1. Don't tailgate a big truck. Slipstreaming does not improve your gas mileage and makes it impossible for the truck driver to see you. If you can't see his west coast mirrors, then he can't see you!

2. When passing a big truck, don't slide back into the lane right in front of the truck. Make sure there is at least three car lengths between you and the big truck at all times. Remember, it takes a big truck three hundred feet to come to a complete stop at fifty miles an hour.

3. Don't hang out in the hammer lane next to the trailer. The driver has blind spots and if he can't see you when he changes lanes, you aren't going to like what happens next. And neither will he, the paper work is crazy!

4.When a big truck is signalling to make a right hand turn, he really is turning right no matter how it may look from behind. Trucks make wide right turns to keep the trailer from running up on the sidewalk or taking out the signal light pole, so don't try to cut under his trailer and beat him to the turn. That is a suicidal move and you can be killed when the trailer runs over you.

5. If you are in front of a big truck, do not hit your brakes suddenly. A big truck cannot stop quickly and will run over you. Again, you will not like the results of this action.

6. There is this invention on every vehicle. It's a lever on the left side of the steering column and when you push it up the lights on the right will flash indicating you want to turn right and when you press it down, it indicates you want to turn left. This is called a turn signal and lets other drivers know what you intend to do. I don't think very many people are aware it exists because I see so few using it.

7. When coming off an exit onto a roadway, do not creep out in front of traffic. Truck drivers pay attention to get ons and will see you coming. Get up to speed and get on the road. If you creep up, you may get run over.

8. Pick a speed and stick with it, especially on two-lane roads. Do the speed limit, don't speed up and slow down only to speed up again. Trucks are heavy and it is difficult for them to get up to speed, so when they are following someone who is talking on the phone and not paying attention to their driving, this impedes their driving. Most trucks have manual transmissions and having to push on a stiff clutch to downshift and then upshift because a driver in front of them doesn't maintain their speed can cause a number of difficulties for the truck and for you.

9. Trucks are very heavy and especially slow going up hill. Be patient, they aren't driving that slow just to hold you back and when they can move out of the way to let you pass, they will. Trying to pass a truck on a hill or curve is stupid and will get you killed.

10. When road conditions are slick, please slow down and use all safety measures around big trucks. If they have to hit the brakes because a car cuts in front of them and their trailer loses traction, they may jack knife, or go into a skid. Again, you're not going to like what happens next.

11. When travelling, if you stop at a truck stop for fuel or to use the bathroom, truck parking is NOT for you. Even if you're in an RV or pulling a travel trailer, do not park in truck parking slots. Truck drivers are required by federal law to stop driving after a certain amount of time and truck stop parking lots are built specifically for this reason. Every time an RV or travel trailer uses a truck parking slot they are keeping a hard working man or woman from obeying DOT regulations. This includes rest areas as well--RV's and travel trailers can use car parking, just take two or three slots and park vertically, problem solved!

Everyone is in a hurry to get to where they're going but you want to arrive alive, so hang up your phones, eat your hamburger while stopped, read your newspaper at home, answer your email when you get to your destination and use common sense. There are more and more vehicles on the road every day and more and more big trucks, but we can all use the same roadways if we just take a few more minutes. What's five extra minutes to get somewhere compared to eternity six feet under?

Next time on My Road Trip I'll be talking about DOT rules of service for motor carriers. I hope it'll help everyone understand exactly what truck drivers have to deal with on a daily basis.

A speeding Camaro lost control on a wet roadway, spun into a semi and this vehicle then rear-ended the semi. The only survivor was the truck driver.