Construction begins on truck toll gantries (Rhode Island)

ABC 6 News ^ | February 12, 2018 | Rebecca Turco

[j. earl carter]

Cars cause 3 times more accidents. You're saying there are an equal number of cars as trucks?

The rate of death caused by cars is really, really close to the rate of death caused by big trucks (about 1.1 deaths per 100 million miles driven)

There is not much difference in the safety of trucks vs. cars as far as the death rate. Of course, the trucks are almost always driven by legally licensed non-drunks whereas the cars are often driven by drunken, drugged up idiots. So, if you had only reasonable people behind the wheel, the trucks would be more deadly.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

trucks are almost always driven by legally licensed non-drunks

Who may have been awake for 36 hrs...eating little white pills. Then there are the Mexican truck drivers.

Most are true professionals, but I'vc had a couple encounters with "The Knights of the Road"...especially in the hills of Pennsylvania. You can't get away from them.

Somehow I fail to understand how having a big rig lurking right on my six, while I'm slightly over, or doing the speed limit, is ever my fault. Or blasting by you in blinding snowstorm, making whiteout conditions, or in thick fog, or when it's so icy you could barely remain standing on the road surface....not real good driving practices for any vehicle.

Of course there's also a huge difference between courteous Midwestern drivers and East Coast big city jerks.

Bottom line: If I can't stop....they can't stop.

[j. earl carter]

The point is: much of the death toll in cars is caused by people who don't even have a driver's license (many of the wrecks will happen when reasonable people like you are not on the road), while the death toll in trucks is almost always caused by people who are on the road legally. If cars were only driven by people who had driver's licenses, the death rate for cars would be lower than for trucks.

You are absolutely correct that one can witness really bad driving from commercial drivers. There is quite a bit of turnover in employees as this is not a desirable job. Most people would be surprised at how inexperienced many of the drivers are.

I would also point out: Trucks simply don't have the ability to maintain a constant speed if the ground isn't flat. In situations where you have rolling hills, it is impossible to make it up the next hill without shifting down several gears if you don't let the truck gain speed on the downhill (they aren't shifting into neutral or stepping on the gas: trucks gain speed when they go downhill). This is just a fact, there isn't much those drivers can do about it. I understand that this annoys you, but you can just move over into the left lane when you see them coming and let them roll on past. You will then pass them again when you go back up the next hill.

[TheNext]

You are in denial.

Of all truck/car accidents, 3 times as many are caused by irresponsible car drivers. Car drivers are extremely dangerous. Just the facts Jack!

Involving fatalities, car folks die, and the truck driver lives, near certainty.

Remember those stats wives and children when your car driver acts like a jerk on the road cutting off vehicles. He cares less about your life or injury.

Car drivers kill.

[TheNext]

Truck drivers are currently hyper regulated.

Regulation causes many accidents. Regulation’s prime purpose is to make big trucking companies bigger. Regulation is not safety.

[backwoods-engineer]

Simple solution: stop delivering ANYTHING to Rhode Island. Maybe it can be made into a Federal park and give up its star on the flag.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

If cars were only driven by people who had driver's licenses, the death rate for cars would be lower than for trucks.

Which means....it is.

Most people would be surprised at how inexperienced many of the drivers are.

Which begs the question, why are they allowed behind the wheel of an 80,000 vehicle?

Trucks simply don't have the ability to maintain a constant speed if the ground isn't flat. In situations where you have rolling hills, it is impossible to make it up the next hill without shifting down several gears if you don't let the truck gain speed on the downhill (they aren't shifting into neutral or stepping on the gas: trucks gain speed when they go downhill).

I'm quite aware of that, but why should they be allowed to intermix with cars in those areas?

but you can just move over into the left lane when you see them coming and let them roll on past. You will then pass them again when you go back up the next hill.

If that were the rule, I would be fine with that. They stay in the truck (right) lane and drive 65 or 70. Cars can stay in the right lane and go 10 MPH faster.

There's no way in Hell something that weighs as much as a house should be going 80-85 MPH.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

Truck drivers are currently hyper regulated.

Yeah, they probably are, and there are probably past bad driving practices that sparked many of those regs.

Regulation causes many accidents. Regulation’s prime purpose is to make big trucking companies bigger. Regulation is not safety.

It is if those regs control proper brakes, tires and speed....and the skill and awareness of the driver.

Don't ever tell me: "those rigs can't stop".