From SacBee.com:
WASHINGTON — Deaths of bicyclists and occupants of large trucks rose sharply last year even as total traffic fatalities dropped to their lowest level since 1949, federal safety officials said Monday.
Bicyclist deaths jumped 8.7 percent and deaths of occupants of large trucks increased 20 percent, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in an analysis of 2011 traffic deaths.
Overall traffic fatalities dropped 1.9 percent, to 32,367. The decline came as the number of miles driven by motorists dropped by 1.2 percent.
The question posed is this: whilst national traffic death stats decline as miles driven decline, why have bicycle and big rig deaths increased?
And I have easy, simple and logical answers to that. Predicated, I submit, but upon personal expertise involving three + decades of EVOC driver training. That is, teaching cops to drive since the late 1970s/early 80s in federal, state and county venues. I’ve been certificated in sedans, authority motors and large commercial vehicles. I have testified in open court and in depositions involving various law enforcement accidents. I have also held a seat on various government accident review boards.
First, take a look at this video which occurred on Interstate 80 in Fornicalia, a freeway I’ve been driving daily since 1993:
This crash involved a trainee driver, and his instructor who was located back in the sleeper. Both persons perished in this crash. What few know is that the tractor ended up hundreds of feet down and over the side because, across this barrier, the terrain falls precipitously. The passenger in the sleeper was not located for two days.
A few more stills provided in this video, by an individual who drives for the company whose commercial vehicle recorded the incident on his dash-cam:
The above driver was rolling westbound from Donner Pass, past Secret Town, towards Sacramento, and a substantial distance from Donner Pass itself.
Personally, I have to hand it to the driver of the big rig whose dash-cam caught the crash. He applied proper brakes, drove in the #1 through the debris field, and didn’t stop until he was safely off to the right a distance from the crash site itself. He didn’t make his big rig a problem for those responding.
This driver, an experienced trucker, is rolling eastbound down from Donner Summit towards Truckee and Nevada. He has some salient comments for those who wish to actually listen. He is one smart man.
Driving uphill in a commercial vehicle, single or double-trailered in Fornicalia, is not so terribly difficult. You may simply back up traffic. After finding the proper hole. Oh well. At worst, if you stall, you can apply fresh and cool brakes and pull to the side in order to start over into deep first. Transmission-dependent.
Here I am, driving a Kenworth, eastbound up Highway 50 at the legal limit:
The transmission:
It is, however, a horse of a different color when driving downhill. It’s, then, all about the gearing and the RPM. If you’re not in the right hole, then God help you. And even He might not if you’re beyond help — as was the trainee in the first video who — ALLEGEDLY — was in neutral attempting to locate said proper gear. Sooner or later your brakes won’t pull you out of an improper combination of speed and gearing. And further: do you know your terrain? Your road?
And bicyclists?
It’s no more complicated than this:
In Fornicalia, a bicycle is lawfully considered a “vehicle” and therefore subject to all the code sections as applicable to cars and trucks.
Somehow, bicyclists think they are different. And I have little if any sympathy for them.
What is the common factor that I alluded to above?
Arrogance.
With bicyclists: arrogance that they deserve consideration above and beyond anyone else.
With truckers: arrogance in terms of relying upon their powerful engines and air brakes. I have seen truckers, year after year, exceed the 55 mph speed limit because they can.
Conversely, I have seen their ruined and burned carcasses from lighting up their brakes. There are car-B-ques. And there are also TRUCK-B-ques.
That’s a fool’s dream.
BZ
P.S.
Bicyclists ignore the Lug Nut Law:
– Four lug nuts = compact car
– Five lug nuts = average sedan
– Six lug nuts = an SUV
– TEN lug nuts = a Big Rig
– Tracks beat all lug nuts
– Rails beat all tracks
– NO lug nuts = death
BZ
Good points all, and this is what happens when the speeds are too high on the mountain!
Hey, Homes!
Thanks for the commercial vehicle video. I used to say back when in the lecture, “…because if you do, Isaac Newton is going to get even with you right away…” talking about inputs behind the wheel.
The sense of waste, self-centeredness and squandering of life and property in vehicle related collisions still staggers me.
It is worse when you consider the witnesses who are called upon to tell their stories and to process their own resulting suffering. Counseling is a good idea!
I think that this is where traffic officers, firefighters, paramedics, tow truck operators earn their pay behaving professionally when confronted with shocking evidence of callous disregard for the safety of anyone within view on or off the road.
Thanks for the chance to comment.
DM
My pleasure, sir. It’s even stranger still when you’re personally familiar with the specific turns involved and have driven them for, literally, decades.
BZ
So, will try this comment business again. Seems I must do a little math each time.
Agree completely about the bicyclists. I see them run stop signs all the time.
My sister is an independent insurance adjuster. She works around ten big rig accidents a year. A fair number of the drivers are foreign born. Russia, India, Pakistan, etc. I’m hearing a lot of English as a second language when buying diesel.
You’re not alone.
When I glance into Big Rig cabs in Fornicalia, I see you’re correct.
I wonder: to whom and how can the state justify these NON-English-speaking drivers?
Oh yeah. That’s right. Via their individual language study guides.
BZ