This is the kind of thing that happens when truckers forget to sleep at night. I know accidents happen, but dang.......

 

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The car flexed so bad that it popped the windshield out and even broke both louvers off the hood. The lower control arm is a bit out of whack too. It was howling soooo bad on the way home it sounded like someone was squashing a cat.

 

DUDE, What Happened?

 

That sucks. I've been pretty lucky on my trips to and from school (9 hour drive. that really screwed things up. I wish you the best of luck getting everything worked out.

 

And people think us with the fast cars are dangerous! I swear I've been almost killed more times by truckers than anybody else on the road. The 2nd most dangerous people on the road are old people who can't see 10 ft out of their car windows and drive 15 MPH under the speed limit. Nothing like not seeing a car coming, pulling out in front of it and then idling your way up to 20 MPH.

Sorry about your car man! That sucks.

 

K, here's what happened. I was driving my girlfriend home (she lives 15 miles away), so I was getting onto the interstate, and I see an 18-wheeler in my rearview mirror. I thought he was in the left lane (2 lanes), so I continued up the ramp. We were in a conversation, so I wasn't paying WAY too much attention, and when I started to get up to speed, like 80mph or so, the truck I was next to started to vear into my lane. It was either eat the truck, or eat a linear marker, so I decided (Like you have time to think) to weave a set of markers. I missed the markers but the shock the car took from the sudden impact was enough to move the subframe about a 1/2 an inch. It doesn't sound like much, but at the wheel it's about 2 almost 3 inches. The only other thing that was bent (hopefully) was the left spindle. I do have to say the car took it pretty well though now that I have had time to sit and think about it. It happened last night at about 10pm, at 10 am I was on the phone ordering a strut brace.......

 

SFC's too.

 

Truckers are the safest drivers on the road

 

Not from my experience. And I used to live in Columbus, a day doesn't pass without a truck jack-knifing or turning over on I-270. Let alone the other highways.

 

All i have to say is I-78....between exit 11 and exit 18....anyone that lives around here knows about that area and truckers.

 

I'm not blaming ALL truckers, it's just that you can't drive very well while you're sleeping. Kinda reminds me of a Simpson's episode.......

 

Agreed... No one can drive sleeping... I'm sure that's what happened. Typically i'm very impressed with truckers... Imagine handling 50 feet of truck behind you! Then toss in the fact that it's not in-line, it's a trailer, it's amazing what they can do, especially manuevering on small city streets.

 

here's some defensive driving tips: stay the **** away from trucks! wether they can see you or not,it's never a good idea to get in front of a truck or in his bindspots. and when someone changes lanes unexpectadly,sometimes it's safer to jam on the brakes provided there's noone behind you.

try driving one day through Norfolk,VA...surrounded by space monkeys everywhere I go! these people shut down two lanes of highway just because a car catches on fire!! a little 5mph bumper tap will bring 3 lanes of traffic to a hault,until the 2mph rubberknecking parade begins! virginia should just adopt public transportaition and line the streets with la-la's......:lala: :lala: :lala: :lala: :lala: :lala:

 

My favorite trucker is the one that drives as fast as he can while slinging rocks and other debris at the traffic behind him. How is it that those SOB's never run outta gravel? I think I will start useing my console for a penny tray, then when I pass those dirty bastages I'll sling a couple dollars worth right back at em'. That should make fixing the chips in my paint and windshield a little less painful!!!

 

I second Buckeye's assessment of Columbus.

I was down there over New Year's, and a truck overturned on 270.... It blocked the on ramp to Rt 23 for about 4 hours.

Truckers get a bad rep because most are *******s. There are many decent ones out there, but the bad ones spoil it for everyone else.

Hell, if you're throwin money away, roll it and mail it to me!

 

Maby I'll just use slugs then!

 

Exactly. My dad drives a truck and paople never cease to amaze him with their stupidity. You need to be about 1 1/2 to 2 car lengths ahead of a truck for them to be able to see you since they sit so high. People never seem to realize that and will squeeze in between him and cars in front of him and completely disappear form his vision. If they have to hit the brakes and he hasn't had a chance to slow down and let them gain on him then they might as well say goodbye to their car. Trucks have lage blind spots. The warnigns on the back of the trucks really do mean if you can't see his mirrors he can't see you. Also, if you hit a truck or he hits you chances are he won't feel it. You will. My dad has been rearended, but it felt like normal fuel slosh from a hlaf empty tanker and kept going until another trucker told him what had happened. The truck that nailed him was totaled.

Basically, if you see a truck stay the hell away from them if you like your car.

 

I'm going to just avoid everything from now on. I see a freight train, I'll stop. I see a 90 year old woman, I'll still stop. I tried to avoid being hit by the truck on this one, but I have to pay for everything now, except the windshield. Insurance companies make their money off of 18 year olds and fats cars; That's why I can only afford liability.......

 

Right on...

19 male, Stock 92 305 TBI, full coverage, theft, acts of ***, $250 deductable, $150 a month...

 

"I thought he was in the left lane (2 lanes), so I continued up the ramp. We were in a conversation, so I wasn't paying WAY too much attention, and when I started to get up to speed, like 80mph or so, the truck I was next to started to vear into my lane."

Sounds like it wasn't quite all the trucker's fault... You "thought" he was someplace? You weren't "paying too much attention" to your driving and you were speeding...
In fact, it sounds like the trucker was the one abused by a hot-rodder who doesn't pay attention to his driving...
Rob

 

You do 80mph on a on ramp and don't pay attention. And it's the trucker's fault

 

I'm sorry your car was damaged Get-Slicked, and I'm real glad neither of you were hurt, but I tend to agree with ops32. If you had merged onto the freeway at a normal speed you would have been behind the truck when he changed back into the right hand lane as the law requires. As someone who drives a fully loaded dump truck all day in a large metropolitan area (and has done so for 20 years), it absolutely amazes me how stupid people are around trucks. USDOT statistics show that only 3% of all multi-vehicle accidents involving large trucks and passenger vehicles are the truck driver's fault (this was published in a recent USDOT publication I receive). That means the truck was not the cause of the accident 97% of the time. Large truck is defined as a truck with a gvwr over 26,000 lbs.

 

When I say "I thought he was in the left lane", I was giving the trucker the benefit of the doubt, but if you have ever driven on I-80, especially throught Wyoming you'd know why they call it the "bermuda triangle" of Interstates. It's not too uncommen that a truck rolls, jack-knifes, or creames a smaller vehicle on this section of interstate, this summer alone there was more then 50 MAJOR accidents that were caused or involved an 18-wheeler. I grew up having a dad that owned a tow truck, so I was always on calls with him. I've seen what trucks can do to cars. I do understand the need to give them their space, because I speak from experience. Ask anyone that has driven I-80 how safe it is, I'm sure they'll also tell you how well maintained our highways are maintained. Oh, and 80mph up an onramp isn't as fast as you think, considering the merging lane is connected to the interstate for only about 30 yards. Yeah, 30. And when your doing 55 up an onramp it's easier then you think to be ran over by a truck doing 85. That's not too uncommen either, an 18-wheeler speeding.......

 

I am not saying anything about what what happened in your accident Get-Slicked but when i was young my father used to drive us to go camping in a 34 ft camper towed behind a 1987 chevy suburban (he is an excellent driver no tickets or accidents ever but agrees that there should be a license to drive trailers and motorhomes because half of the people who drive them shouldnt have a license let alone be driving something so big). Anyway we were headed down a two lane hignway in the right lane w/ an 18 wheeler passing us on the left (safely unlike most car drivers pass trucks and trailers) when we come to an on ramp. An Oldsmobile Cutlass is getting onto the highway behind my dad and the truck and decides that he doesnt want to wait in the left lane for the truck to pass my dad so he stays in the onramp lane and tries to pass my dad. Well he ran outta road and was still coming up on my dad but he couldnt switch lanes or slam on the brakes for fear of jackknifing the trailer. The guy plowed into the side of a bridge at 80 mph and never knew what hit him. Needless to say the only tools the paramedics needed to clean up the accident was a spatula. This example goes to show just how far *******s go to avoid waiting a couple of min to be safe. It bring goosebumps every time i thinl about it. Again this is not at all accusing anyone here of anything just an example of the worlds stupidity when it comes to the highways giants.

 

before you all go on slagging professional drivers, spend a day in a truck and watch some of the stunts 4-wheelers pull. 80mph on an on-ramp? c'mon... you couldn't have waited 2 seconds and pulled around the truck in the passing lane? was it worth it trying to pass in the merge lane?

i'm not trying to reignite any kind of flame war here, but i've been in enough junkyards and seen enough bent f-bods and rustangs and ricers... it's tough to enjoy your ride if you're injured or crippled or dead. public roads are not places to not pay attention. it's not just your life you're risking, it's everybody around you too.

end of rant. drive safe and live to drive another day.

 

I dunno...I sympathize w/ truckers, because people driving cars act way more reckless most of the time....I always give the big trucks a wide berth. However, I try to help them out whenever I can. Whenever I need to pass a truck, I always flash my lights as I approach. Same applies when they are trying to get in my lane...as soon as he is clear to move into my lane, I flash my lights to tell him or her so. This does two things: it lets them know that you are there, and it also shows consideration. Whenever I do these things, they always give me a 'thank you' flash of their lights, and are extra nice to me. If I have my CB on, they often offer to let me draft a little bit, or give me info on the road ahead (crashes, cops, etc.) I have made 9 cross-country trips in this fashion, and trucks are often some of the best friends you have.

 

i agree completely to giving trucks as much room as possible, i am only 20, but i used to work on medium duty trucks(big penske type) the solid frame type, and it is amazing the number of people that dont give you the room to make a turn or give you the respect of being able to drive a truck that large. However i have encountered many truck drivers that just dont seem to care...usually cattle haullers in this part of the country, they drive very fast. I admit that when i can i will/do run with them usually doing 85 or so, on a 70mph high way anyway, they deserve respect but you deserve some too.