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To: supercat

I don’t think it’s really safe for one of these trucks to go over 60 mph in any circumstances. The maximum safe speed for these vehicles is a good deal less than the maximum safe speed for many other vehicles. Not only are they filled with explosive material that makes a crash a lot more dangerous than crashes involving other kinds of heavy cargo trucks, but the tremendous weight of the liquid fuel makes for a long braking distance.

I was about 1/2 mile away from the White Plains, NY propane tanker crash in 1994. The driver apparently fell asleep and hit the concrete support of an overpass. The exploding tank turned into a missile, flew 300 feet (in my direction), landing on a house full of sleeping people on a residential street. It sounded like a huge bomb had exploded, to people at least a mile from the explosion site. Several houses were burned down, and 23 people injured, included a 30 weeks-pregnant woman who was severely burned (as was her husband), and whose baby had to be delivered by emergency C-section and reportedly suffered some brain damage as a result of the trauma to the mother and/or the premature birth. Many of the residents of the block have experienced lasting psychological problems (post-traumatic stress disorder). There’s no way a truck loaded with groceries or building products can have this kind of effect, but fuel tankers are in a category of their own.


49 posted on 04/30/2007 9:00:15 PM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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To: GovernmentShrinker
I don’t think it’s really safe for one of these trucks to go over 60 mph in any circumstances.

Make a policy that drivers who go faster than that without a darned good reason are subject to being fired.

51 posted on 04/30/2007 9:06:14 PM PDT by supercat (Sony delenda est.)
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To: GovernmentShrinker
And you might've noticed that tankers are nearly ALWAYS speeding and tailgating.

Tank hauling carriers have almost all made the switch to the newest "super single" (they hate it when you call it that LOL) tires. No more duals, just a single tire at each axle end. Keep that in mind if you like to drive alongside of trucks.

:O)

P
74 posted on 04/30/2007 10:05:07 PM PDT by papasmurf (Patience is, not only, a virtue...it's also a weapon. Be patient FRed!)
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