Crashes in the US and Statistics…

Federal Motor Carriers Accident Chart for 2008…

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http://www.truckinfo.net/trucking/stats.htm#Accident%20Stats
~   Truck Info…
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What are some facts about truck driving accidents?
~   Commercial trucks are involved in 2.4% of all car accidents.
~   Trucks are 3 times less likely to be in an accident than a regular motor vehicle.
~   One person is injured or killed in a truck accident every 16 minutes.~
How many truck accidents occur every year?
The United States Department of Transportation estimates that over 500,000 truck accidents occur every year.~
What is the cause of the truck accidents
~    More than 75% of truck driving accidents are due to the driver of the passenger vehicle.
~   Only 16% of all truck driving accidents are due to the truck driver’s fault.

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NOW, WHO NEEDS TO WISE UP ON THEIR DRIVING SKILLS?

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Lady Trucker

This all co-insides with the DOT certified State Trooper’s findings during their Ride Along Program with truck drivers…

~    They did this in three states a few years ago…

~    Troopers had a video camera, ticket books and cameras with them…

~    They rode in the passenger seat a solid week with truck drivers…

~     They were shocked to see all the crap all the 4 wheelers, etc…  were pulling!

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I know for a fact most law enforcement have no idea of our Rules of the Road!

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F.Y.I. 

~    If you travel like 18 to 20 seconds behind the traffic you will escape many accidents!

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~     If you stay doing the posted speed limits you will arrive 10-15 minutes later than if you speeded the whole way!

(Research was conducted with a speeding rig and a speed abiding rig… The slow rig was only 10 minutes behind the fast rig!!!!)

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~   Super Truckers start about 11pm through 5am nightly… Us good drivers hate them!   You should be leery of them too!  They speed, break most laws and are reckless and careless drivers…

*  I strongly suggest you get any info you can about the truck, trailer and driver, plus highway info… Call the police and turn them in!

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Notably Bad Driver Company

~    Swift Transportation have most of the worst drivers out there!   Put their Safety Dept’s number on speed dial… Call (1-800-347-1656)…

~    I was constantly calling them!

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SWIFT TRANSPORTATION TRUCK

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Bad Driver Note
Bad drivers you experience while driving or otherwise can be turned in to their company’s Safety Department…
~   The company should thank you for alerting them to an unsafe driver…
Do write down:
~       Truck number or license plate and driver description…
~       Trailer number or license number…
~       Time of day…
~       Highway and mile marker, direction truck is traveling…
~       State and town you witnessed them in….

~        Mention what all you witnessed…
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All this info is key in tracking that truck and finding out if they were off route, etc…
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SITES
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www.howsmydriving.com/
http://www.howsmydriving.com/drive4life.nsf
~ How’s My Driving … Driver monitoring system for teenagers, seniors, and fleet operators.
~ Report bad and good drivers… Companies want to know! Seniors can drive longer up in years!
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“YOU” can help save lives by turning in “BAD” drivers!
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Call: 800-2-ADVISE or 800-4-SAFETY
or
Call the # on the sticker: How’s My driving?
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PCOS Lady:
I called the 800-2-ADVISE number one night… Learned all about this company… Well worth calling when you see a bad driver or a good driver… The phones are covered 24/7… Reports can be filled out at their website as well…
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Thank you for helping to make roads safer!

TRUCKER’S “RULES OF THE ROAD”

TRUCKER’S

“RULES OF THE ROAD”

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~ RESPECT RIGS ~

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1 ~  If you can’t see our face in our side mirrors, we sure can’t see YOU!
(If you are within 50 feet of our front or back bumpers, we can’t see you! …Blind zones)
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2 ~  We only ever have 10 brakes, not 18….
(None are disk brakes)
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3 ~  At 55 mph it takes a regulation football field and a half (650 ft) to come to a complete stop loaded…
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4 ~  An 18 wheeler’s weight fully loaded is 80,000 lbs…
(that’s 80,000 lbs of rolling death)
(40 tons)
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5 ~  Our rigs can suck motorcycles under with the draft killing riders…
(Also to people walking or standing as we pass by you…
If to close to us)
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6 ~  We swing wide at all turns…
(Most roads were not designed for rigs…)
(Long trailers are 48 feet and mainly 53 footers…)
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7 ~  Remember: Our cab turns left say, the trailer tail swings right….
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8 ~  1st Responders: We are usually the 1st to HELP you!
We are the 1st at an accident, we watched it happen!
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9 ~  Need HELP?  Ask us, we have resources to assist you in our cabs…
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10 ~  Fact:  Most auto vs rig accidents are caused by the auto &/or 2 wheeler…
(Proven by the Ride Along program with State Police, DOT certified…Cameras, video and tickets… In WA, MO & KY)
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11 ~  4 wheelers (autos, pickups, trucks, motorcycles) must STOP cutting us off!
(Be it at stops, ramps, traveling, in traffic, etc…)
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12 ~  4 wheelers STOP pushing us!
(We do the best we can loaded, flooring the pedal to the metal just to get rolling from a stop)
(Most trucks are governed at 62  – 68 mph, a few at 72 mph)
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13 ~  4 wheelers, move out of the way if you are going S.L.O.W in the right lane….
( It’s safer for you to change lanes than for us)
(We are on time sensitive delivery loads most times)
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14 ~  Our 4-way lights on, we may be backing up, not always stopped!
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15 ~   Backing in to a straight a way, we have to swing the cab to push the trailer in…
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16 ~  Do not high beam us, we have to hold our speeds!
(Some companies make us run at 50 – 55 mph)
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17 ~  In merge situations, we hold our lane and speeds on the highways…
(We can’t yield to you when you merge in from ramps, our loads may shift causing an accident….)
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18 ~  We are more deadly without the trailer attached….
(Bobtailing, we can flip as soon as we hit the breaks quick and hard!)
(Plus, brakes only stop on the front 2 brakes designed to work for 80,000 lbs!)
(Smaller the truck is NOT the safest either!)

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19 ~  Most of us have graduated Professional Truck School, we are professional tractor trailer drivers!
(Trucking is our career, our job, our lifestyle)~ ~ ~* 

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REMEMBER:  If you bought it, a trucker brought it!
Thank the trucker….
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Christie
Lady Trucker
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It’s against the law for truckers to blow their air horns!
(Unless for an emergency)
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PASS IT ON!
SAVE A LIFE!
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FYI:   Police, EMT, ambulance, fire station training all do not include our “Rules” .. Go figure!
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You can change this and make your local towns, schools, emergency drivers and people you care about well AWARE you care by helping to save a life!

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RESPECT the RIG!  80,000 lbs of death rolling down the road… They can be your best friend or your worst nightmare… *Usually depends on YOU!  We are professional drivers, it’s our career and our lifestyle…