I followed this a little bit, and it was a bad one. 10 dead, including both drivers, 3 adult chaperons on the bus and 5 students. Multiple bus passengers injured. The truck left his lane, crossed the median, evidently, never attempted to brake, and hit the bus pretty much head on and a fire resulted. The bus driver OTOH, did everything possible to avoid the collision. Evasive action and lengthy skid marks but just couldn't succeed in spite of the bus driver's best reaction.
We all drive everyday, and are each always pretty confident of our abilities and reactions, but our safety, every second we are on the road, depends 100% on everyone else doing EXACTLY what they are supposed to do as well. I try to convey this thought to my wife, but she just won't allow much room between her and the car in front of her, she drives too fast on curves, and generally gets by with it, but anything can happen at any time--her fault, the other driver's fult, nobody's fault--crap can happen in the blink of an eye. I knew a guy that was driving along one day, and a utility pole suddenly just "fell over" right in front of his truck--he survived, but his truck was totaled. Not sure where I'm going with this, but always leave yourself an out if you can for any emergency. That 18 wheeler driving along 6' away beside you in the next lane (or your vehicle) can have a blowout at any timeand swerve together. just be careful..
[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 04-14-2014).]
This happened close to where I am and it's all over the news. The vehicles are so destroyed they don't think they will know what really happened. Reports that the big-rig was on fire have been mentioned but there isn't any collaborating evidence.
Going down the road I give all big-rigs what ever room they want or need but when one crosses over into oncoming traffic there is little you can do. I don't know how wide the median is there. There isn't a barrier to bounce vehicles back into their lanes but the media is usually 100ft+ wide in these places. Plenty of time to see something coming across. I am afraid the cause will never be known but it sounds like the driver wasn't in control at some point and made no attempt to stop. Nothing you can do at that point other than try and dodge it.
This is sad all around.
[This message has been edited by TK (edited 04-14-2014).]
... our safety, every second we are on the road, depends 100% on everyone else doing EXACTLY what they are supposed to do ...
Quoted for truth. It is remarkable that the system works as well as it does at speeds up to 80 mph in the U.S. and up to ~150 mph in Europe.
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... always leave yourself an out if you can for any emergency. That 18 wheeler driving along 6' away beside you in the next lane (or your vehicle) can have a blowout at any timeand swerve together.
This is one area where I think my pilot training and experience has made me a better (i.e. safer) driver: Always ask yourself, "If things go to s**t, what are my options? What am I going to do?" My last automobile accident (regardless of fault) was in 1972, but that is no guarantee that I won't be involved in one today.
Several years ago my wife and I were driving a rental car (a risk factor in itself) along I-90 between Seattle and North Bend, WA. I was in the center lane, slowly overtaking a semi-trailer truck in the right lane. Just as I was abreast of the tractor its left front tire blew out with a very loud "Boom!" I reflexively moved toward the left shoulder to give him room, while he coolly steered straight ahead, decelerated smoothly, and pulled to a stop on the right shoulder, leaving big chunks of tire and pieces of fiberglass from a shattered left front fender in his wake.
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... anything can happen at any time--[your] fault, the other driver's fult, nobody's fault--crap can happen in the blink of an eye.
Luck sometimes plays a part, too. Three years ago I experienced a complete steering disconnect in my '91 Buick Regal, at less than 5 mph. (The cause was an abrupt rust-related failure of two engine/suspension cradle attach bolts.) I quickly rolled to a stop with no damage. Had those bolts failed five minutes later, I would have been traveling at 65 mph in moderate to heavy traffic on I-470.
[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 04-15-2014).]
The older I'm getting the more I find myself thinking, WHAT IF. Today, is the first day of the season that I took the bike to work. Really was thinking the WHAT IF scenario this morning.
I read one story that said some Volvo trucks have had a recall with some part smoking and catching on fire. If the smoke was toxic, it could have overwhelmed him before it caught on fire.
All side windows on modern charter coaches are emergency exits. How many people know that? They need to be more noticeable and the public more aware.
[This message has been edited by Gokart Mozart (edited 04-14-2014).]
All side windows on modern charter coaches are emergency exits. How many people know that? They need to be more noticeable and the public more aware.
I wouldn't have known that, but I haven't been on a bus since 1973, and hope I never have to ride another one. It was a Greyhound and had a nasty odor not unlike a cross between vomit and a wet mangy dog.
[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 04-14-2014).]
I wouldn't have known that, but I haven't been on a bus since 1973, and hope I never have to ride another one. It was a Greyhound and had a nasty odor not unlike a cross between vomit and a wet mangy dog.
You'll be happy to know that the current busses will bring back memories as soon as you step onto them.
Driving is so dangerous and many people just don't understand that.
It took me way too many accidents and tickets to figure that out for myself. Now I drive like a grandma and I keep distractions down and eyes peeled. But I arrive alive.
Modern semi trucks keep about 3 days worth of ECM data. If the truck was equipped with QUALCOMM or electronic logs, there will be a lot of data to sift through also. Such as was the truck on cruise, how long the driver had driven that day, etc.
Dropped off a load at a Fed Ex in California the other day, and saw a sign on the wall, "No lost time accidents in 6 or 8 days", whatever it was. Without thinking about where I was I said, "man, what happened?" It was the terminal this guy was from.
One guy stayed to explain that the guy worked there, and most of the people had known him for years, the rest just wandered out of the office. I felt like an ass.
It was the terminal this guy was from. 
