Comments on: Learning to Live with Large Trucks http://www.howwedrive.com/2008/09/09/learning-to-live-with-large-trucks/ Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:33:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Dave http://www.howwedrive.com/2008/09/09/learning-to-live-with-large-trucks/#comment-8094 Dave Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:21:07 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=240#comment-8094 I kind of agree. I wonder what will have to change though for that to happen. I kind of agree. I wonder what will have to change though for that to happen.

]]> By: Jersey Devil http://www.howwedrive.com/2008/09/09/learning-to-live-with-large-trucks/#comment-2636 Jersey Devil Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:17:24 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=240#comment-2636 I am looking forward to reading the rest of the book. I am constantly telling my wife there is a psycology to driving and when I showed her the book she said "Oh My God" as to justify all I have been saying. I wish I had the chance to go to college. I could do an entire thesis on this subject for a pshcology degree. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the book. I am constantly telling my wife there is a psycology to driving and when I showed her the book she said “Oh My God” as to justify all I have been saying. I wish I had the chance to go to college. I could do an entire thesis on this subject for a pshcology degree.

]]> By: Jersey Devil http://www.howwedrive.com/2008/09/09/learning-to-live-with-large-trucks/#comment-2635 Jersey Devil Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:09:10 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=240#comment-2635 I am Glad to finally see some valid points being made toward educating automobile drivers on how to drive around large trucks. I just picked up the book today when I saw it on the shelf at my local Library here in Rahway, NJ. I drive an 18 wheeler and it disturbes me that the first mention of trucks in the book has the word Dangerous before it...and thats in the Prologe in the third paragraph on page six. If trucks are so dangerous and responsable for most of the mayhem on the roadways than by this line of thinking, parkways should always be accident free, shouldn't they? They are not though. Roadways that trucks are not allowed on and/or hardly ever travel on have the highest accident rate of all. Think about the percent of accidents you see between 2 or more cars, and those you see between 2 or more trucks. I've been driving a long time and still have fingers left to count how many truck on truck accidents I have seen. Yes, the rate of car on truck accidents may be higher, but look at the times they accur. Usually, rush hour periods. Now, this line of thinking leads me to believe that trucks really arent dangerous at all. Only when a smaller vehicle intrudes on its space does the danger level rise...sort of like when car drivers wanted those mini-scooters banned from roadways because...a smaller vehicle intruded on it's space and created danger and chances of incidents rose extremely high. well, there is one difference. cars are registered vehicles and the drivers are licensed. yes, this is true, but the fact is that car drivers finally got a taste of what it was like to always have a threat of incident circling around them and they had laws written into effect to prevent it. Trucks don't have that luxury of asking the police to remove cars from the road so we dont have to worry, we have to deal with it. The only answer I have is to create more highways like the NJ turnpike that have car & truck lanes. The more seperation,the better. I am Glad to finally see some valid points being made toward educating automobile drivers on how to drive around large trucks. I just picked up the book today when I saw it on the shelf at my local Library here in Rahway, NJ. I drive an 18 wheeler and it disturbes me that the first mention of trucks in the book has the word Dangerous before it…and thats in the Prologe in the third paragraph on page six.
If trucks are so dangerous and responsable for most of the mayhem on the roadways than by this line of thinking, parkways should always be accident free, shouldn’t they? They are not though. Roadways that trucks are not allowed on and/or hardly ever travel on have the highest accident rate of all. Think about the percent of accidents you see between 2 or more cars, and those you see between 2 or more trucks. I’ve been driving a long time and still have fingers left to count how many truck on truck accidents I have seen. Yes, the rate of car on truck accidents may be higher, but look at the times they accur. Usually, rush hour periods. Now, this line of thinking leads me to believe that trucks really arent dangerous at all. Only when a smaller vehicle intrudes on its space does the danger level rise…sort of like when car drivers wanted those mini-scooters banned from roadways because…a smaller vehicle intruded on it’s space and created danger and chances of incidents rose extremely high. well, there is one difference. cars are registered vehicles and the drivers are licensed. yes, this is true, but the fact is that car drivers finally got a taste of what it was like to always have a threat of incident circling around them and they had laws written into effect to prevent it. Trucks don’t have that luxury of asking the police to remove cars from the road so we dont have to worry, we have to deal with it. The only answer I have is to create more highways like the NJ turnpike that have car & truck lanes. The more seperation,the better.

]]> By: mike in tn http://www.howwedrive.com/2008/09/09/learning-to-live-with-large-trucks/#comment-994 mike in tn Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:02:37 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=240#comment-994 I wish part of driver's education would be in a loaded 18 wheeler. Go on a road at 55 and have a signal for the truck to stop. Knowing how long it takes a truck to slow and stop or maneuver would help on the highway. I wish part of driver’s education would be in a loaded 18 wheeler. Go on a road at 55 and have a signal for the truck to stop. Knowing how long it takes a truck to slow and stop or maneuver would help on the highway.

]]> By: karrde http://www.howwedrive.com/2008/09/09/learning-to-live-with-large-trucks/#comment-988 karrde Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:36:17 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=240#comment-988 I did recieve warnings about the dangers of large trucks. While in motorcycle training. Motorcyclists deal with a similar size/weight/stopping-distance disparity whenever they are in traffic with cars and SUV's, let alone 18-wheelers. I sometimes wonder what road traffic (and fuel usage) would be like if everyone did a driving stint on a motorcycle, after some rigourous training in motorcyle safety. (I can get Prius-like fuel economy on a vehicle that can rival a Corvette in acceleration...but also a vehicle in which seat belts are useless, and any accident means a case of road-rash at minimum, and life-threatening injuries in the worst case.) I did recieve warnings about the dangers of large trucks. While in motorcycle training.

Motorcyclists deal with a similar size/weight/stopping-distance disparity whenever they are in traffic with cars and SUV’s, let alone 18-wheelers.

I sometimes wonder what road traffic (and fuel usage) would be like if everyone did a driving stint on a motorcycle, after some rigourous training in motorcyle safety. (I can get Prius-like fuel economy on a vehicle that can rival a Corvette in acceleration…but also a vehicle in which seat belts are useless, and any accident means a case of road-rash at minimum, and life-threatening injuries in the worst case.)

]]> By: torrilin http://www.howwedrive.com/2008/09/09/learning-to-live-with-large-trucks/#comment-889 torrilin Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:24:55 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=240#comment-889 I ended up taking 2 years worth of learner's permit time to learn to drive. That meant I drove a minivan with a loaded trailer, got some time with a race car driver and a commercial licensed driver riding shotgun, and ended up with several thousand miles under my belt by the time I finally *was* licensed. Most of my classmates didn't even have *half* the time I did in order to get their licenses, and most of them would freak out around a truck. They'd speed, dart desperately around because they were sure the truck would squish them... all sorts of reckless stuff. If they'd gotten the kind of lessons about the way cars and trucks interact that I got, they probably wouldn't have driven so badly around trucks. I ended up taking 2 years worth of learner’s permit time to learn to drive. That meant I drove a minivan with a loaded trailer, got some time with a race car driver and a commercial licensed driver riding shotgun, and ended up with several thousand miles under my belt by the time I finally *was* licensed.

Most of my classmates didn’t even have *half* the time I did in order to get their licenses, and most of them would freak out around a truck. They’d speed, dart desperately around because they were sure the truck would squish them… all sorts of reckless stuff. If they’d gotten the kind of lessons about the way cars and trucks interact that I got, they probably wouldn’t have driven so badly around trucks.

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