The weather has been horrible and truck drivers are unbelievably irresponsible; they drive way too damn fast and generally I dislike traffic laws but they really need to crack down on this.
Driving around DFW under the best conditions a nightmare death trap.
Since that is in Texas where snow is a rarity, I'm not placing the blame on anyone, especially there is no snow on the ground that would indicate icy conditions.......
I live in S.E. Michigan where black ice is a problem under certain conditions and was involved in a wreck under those conditions even tho I had taken every precaution while driving.
I was coming home at about 2:00 a.m. in my MG on a 65 MPH freeway with very little traffic and doing only 35 MPH since it appeared to be slippery from the rain drizzle.
About a half mile ahead I saw lots of flashing lights and realized there was a major problem ahead so I took my foot off the accelerator pedal and slowly tried to steer my car to the right onto the shoulder which was snow covered in an attempt to gain traction. Well that never worked out, I immediately went into a slow spin, heading to the right and ended up hitting the guardrail sideways with my front end and sliding up with my front end hanging over the guard rail, totally destroying my front end suspension......
Crap like that happens and it usually begins with the first accident not realizing the severity of the road conditions and the subsequent collisions occurring no matter the distance between themselves and the vehicle ahead of them..........
Drivers of four-wheel vehicles initiate nine out of ten altercations with a heavy truck. Distraction and lack of situational awareness account for most of these events. Ignorance of the limitations of heavy vehicles, disregard for their drivers, making the truck a target upon which to vent rage count for much of the remainder.
If you vent your emotions through driving an automobile, drive fast-and-loose in highway traffic, believe you are golden such that no ill karma will befall stupid behavior—you will lose. Understand that tonnage is unforgiving if your error in judgement places one between the immovable object and the unstoppable force.
I've long wondered why careless driving rules for ordinary vehicles AND careless truck drivers don't result in investigations and perhaps charges for excessive speed, endangerment, even manslaughter for failing to heed warning lights, weather reports and obvious hazard areas.
I remember as a kid that the truckers were always the safest guys on the road.
Now they are often the worst. I live in a cold, windy, mountainous area and we see EMPTY semi-trailer trucks roaring into 80, 90, 100 mile winds, skidding sideways down the asphalt, f'ing themselve up and anyone one nearby as well.
I know truckers have to bust their butts out there too, but if my company puts me and others in danger...fuggedaboutdit!!