Inspired by southpaw on general car safety -- AVOID BEING ALONGSIDE A BIG RIG

broxbourneDELETE · Mar 10, 2007

The same friend of mine who took driving lessons said I should always avoid driving next to a tractor-trailer on the highway. Apparently if one of their tires blow out, it would likely hit the car next to it, deflect the car, and basically cause a huge bad accident in a blink.

I have never seen a big rig blow a tire but this sounded plausible and I see no advantage being next to one, so I avoid driving next to them.

(Something on the brake tapping thread reminded of this tip)

broken4u05 · Mar 10, 2007

I just hate being next to them so i am not next to them. I have seen the wheels pop but i don't think it is as bad as a full car hitting you. But i am sure it would shock you.

scatterbunny · Mar 10, 2007

I hate driving next to big rigs! If I have to pass one I do it as quickly as possible, white-knuckled the whole time.

Amaris · Mar 10, 2007

Not only that but they have huge blind spots (or at least they used to unless something has changed) so they may not see you if you drive there. Passing is ok but staying there is a big no. Also, they can't see you if you are close to their backs. If you can't see their mirrors then they can't see you.

southpawboston · Mar 10, 2007

i hate driving alongside big rigs...especially in the rain or snow, or when it is windy! they are so huge that they are very susceptible to swerving due to wind gusts. sometimes they swerve over and it scares me that they are going to swerve into my lane and force me into the shoulder! but i don't think that a tire blowout would have sufficient impact to cause your car to lose control... but it would be one huge shock, which alone could affect your safety!

mominabigtruck · Mar 10, 2007

As long as a you can see a truck's mirrors it can see you. Now when you run up right behind it and then jump into the fast lane to go around it as soon as you see them turn on their turn signal it just pisses them off. Normally the tires that go out on a semi are the steer tires that are the ones in the back of the tractor and they can crack a windshield if you are right next to them. I do have to say that I'm a little offended by the bias that driving by all semis is a bad thing. Truck driver's are professional drivers, that's what they do for a living. In general the people at fault are normally the people that don't know how to drive around in major traffic thus being overly excitable or too reckless. I can always tell when someone is from the city, and a weekend driver.

southpawboston · Mar 10, 2007

lol, i'm from the city... would my driving give it away?

i'm the guy who flashes my headlights after a truck has passed me to let him know he's cleared me enough to get back into the right lane

i can understand how a general bias against truck drivers can tick you off... there are some really good truckers out there for sure... and i don't even have any real complaints about truck drivers, except when they try to get in the fast lane going uphill to pass another, slower truck... when they aren't even going to be able to do the speed limit and they and up slowing down a whole line of cars behind them until they get over the hill. why not just stay right when chugging up the hill?

skaterbabs · Mar 10, 2007

Like any other profession, there are good truck drivers and bad ones. God knows, my ex-BIL was a bad one.

broken4u05 · Mar 10, 2007

I know how to drive around trucks and i know that most of them are very good drivers but my little car gets the winds from the truck if i am next to them or too close behind them. I am even talking about 3-4 cars length on a highway. So i slow down or go faster so i am just not right next to them. I will never cut them off or anything

rlsadc · Mar 10, 2007

okay..now this may be mentioned somewhere...but i just made porkchops and my eyes are stinging from the onions and garlic...lol..so whya re these boards inspired by southpaw? the user? or does it mean something...?

Simplysomething · Mar 10, 2007

mominabigtruck said:
As long as a you can see a truck's mirrors it can see you..

You'll never guess who told me this...my mom. lol (Who was told it by my father, iirc, but he is/was a truck driver.).

They do scare me, it's not because I think the drivers are bad, because I know they aren't. It's because they are big, and I'm little. lol.

And finally, I ask...southpawboston, are you in fact a lefty?

southpawboston · Mar 10, 2007

rlsadc said:
so whya re these boards inspired by southpaw? the user? or does it mean something...?

my name is southpaw, and i'm a user, lol...

i brought up a couple of threads on how people here seemed so obsessed about carseats but didn't seem to care to talk about other areas of automotive safety... so a few people started these threads and put me in the titles... [where's the blush emoticon?]

Simplysomething said:
And finally, I ask...southpawboston, are you in fact a lefty?

yes! (but i don't techincally live IN boston, just about 0.435 mile from it

)

beebear23 · Mar 10, 2007

Wow... How often do you guys drive freeways? Major freeways... 6-8 lane freeways..

Sometimes, there just is nothing you can do..... I don't like to,but sometimes there is just nothing you can do about it..

My grandpa was a truck drive for a gazillion years and even now drives a Dodge towing a big 5th wheel trailer. He taught my mom how to drive, she taught me. I've been around good truck drivers and really horrible ones that should be driving a reg. car, let alone a giant big rig.

rlsadc · Mar 10, 2007

well i know you were a user...but i wasnt sure if it was like a saying or something...lol...anyways..thanks for clearing it up

DustysSweety · Mar 10, 2007

That is scary.
I also have the grips of death on the steering wheel when i pass a big rig.

snowbird25ca · Mar 11, 2007

I do get nervous passing rigs when it's really windy. Mainly because the highway I'm typically driving is open plains on either side of it, so wind gusts can be really strong and semi's can completely block the wind and then instantly you're back in it full force again.

Most semi's around here either drive the speed the majority of the traffic is going or else are going slow enough that you pass them quickly. I don't like it when I'm stuck beside one when traffic is busy... but then again I don't like being boxed in by just cars either - I always like to have an "out" in case something happens in my lane and I need to react.

Mind you, now that we don't have a tiny sedan anymore I guess the change in windgusts won't be as much of an issue.

CrabbyBunchX3 · Mar 11, 2007

I was told by a trucker to never ride beside them b/c of the possibilites of a blow out doing damage to vehicles beside them.
anyway, since the discussion has opened up, here's my take.
Truckers don't bother me. I look at it this way...that is their profession(yes there may be some bad drivers out there) they are trained to drive those trucks. If I am coming up on a rig that is going slower than myself, then I get over with plenty of time for them to see me in the next lane vs flying up on them and darting over. Passing, maintain my speed and be done with it. No big deal.

MySillyKids · Mar 11, 2007

Almost everything that we own has some point been on a truck. I have respect for the drivers because i wouldn't want to be driving like they do all day every day. I think the 'bad' ones are the ones who are nearing the end of their driving 'shift' who are just really tired and cranky. lol.

The movie cars has brought a new insight for my son. He think that every red truck is 'Mack'. He thinks that the blue 'Macks' are dinoco blue. All of the other color's are 'ramone' mack's because of what ramone did in the movie lol. (he painted cars).

I dont like semi's for 2 reasons:

1) they are HUGE
2) they throw rocks. Here in AZ thats a big problem because of all the 'decor' rocks on the freeways.

My BIGGEST pet peeve about driving with them, is i dont like to be sandwiched between a big rig, and a wall. It doesnt happen too much out here, but back in the Bay area, (in CA) it used to happen all the time.

mominabigtruck · Mar 11, 2007

I can understsand how some people could feel nervous if they're not used to driving on highways alot. But I personally feel alot better driving even in my car with alot of trucks then I do with people in cars. We have friends that are brokers like we are and she has been hit twice by blown out tires in her scion and her husband always says its her fault for not paying attention and yapping on her cell phone. Which is probably true because she drives like a bat out of hell and you can tell when a tire's starting to shred.

beebear23 · Mar 11, 2007

The only time I get nervous driving, ever, is when it's raining really hard and I can't see the road. Otherwise, I'm perfectly fine. I drive freeways just about everyday. I-5 here is a 4 lane freeway that is always full of big rigs. I-80 here is a 6-8 lane freeway that is always full of cars(and all other vehicles). Always!
Neither bother me at all.. The only I get really ticked off is at the people who get on the freeway going 45mph.. Umm, yeah.. great way to get ran over by a truck! UGH..

Inspired by southpaw on general car safety -- AVOID BEING ALONGSIDE A BIG RIG

broxbourneDELETE

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