I read that you are putting all the blame for accidents on the car and pickup driver. The logging truck and chip trucks are just as much to blame as we are. They tailgate, cut you off at will because they can, they are bigger and just for the last almighty load they have to bring in. They think they own the road. There are a lot of other drivers out there that are at fault also, I am one that tries to stay clear of them, I like staying alive. More people have to be killed before either side takes this seriously.

Geez....hit the ditch if the other lane isn't an option. Then the load shifts forward crushing the driver in the cab when he plows into the snow bank. I think I would rather plow into the back of the moron who slammed on his brakes in front of a fully loaded log truck.

As a trucker I see bonehead 4 wheelers pull stupid stunts all the time. You can't imagine what it takes to stop one of these fully loaded trucks on dry roads let alone icy ones.

Absolutely, people in regular vehicles often pull in front of log trucks (or other large vehicles, for that matter) without regard for that vehicle's stopping distance. If they're tailgating, pull over and let them pass, it's that easy. And if a logging truck really is driving dangerously, call the Forest Safety Hotline and report it.

I don't see that it is wrong to point out it is the car and pick up drivers that cause most of the accidents. Most drive like idiots already, so try the usual around a 120,000 lb trucks is going to make some sirens wail. And make lifesuck.

I realize there's a ton of idiots using the roads these days and realize the truckers have their hands full dealin with them. I always give the trucks the right of way and allow lots of room for them to merge especially out in front of the casino as they cross the bridge. I travel the bypass and the Hart daily. In the last few months I've noticed a hand full of chip trucks and log trucks side by side.... or pullin out to pass another big truck...then go, side by side down the Hart, along the bypass.Its not the highway trucks I see....they're local. I could narrow it down to two or three local companies. Whats up with this! Don't get me wrong here...this is just a small handfull of the many professional drivers out there on the roads doin this....just like any thing else it takes only a few to tarnish the majority. Hey i'm thinkin most of the professional drivers dread having to deal with the idiots drivin with no brains on the roads......I know I sure do!

The worst is the car that slows to 60 in a 100 zone and then speeds up to a 100 and then back down to 60-70 again. It happens all the time and just as you've built up your speed from the last couple of km suddenly there is some nice scenery and the brakes are all on again. eeek.

For these people it would be nice if they would just let you pass them when its safe if they can't maintain a steady speed... thats not what happens though... when they get to a passing lane thats when these people will do a 100 and try to out run you... and then back down to 60 as soon as the passing lane is over... it happens all the time (we've all seen it I'm sure) and for the life of me I can't figure out why they would do this (speed up when the road has passing lanes) other than they want everyone to drive behind them?

its that sign that says slower traffic on the right. No one wants to admitt that they are slow. It reflects on their mental ablities.

Just seen one running a Red Light at Ferry and Hwy.16 fully loaded yesterday morning, I stopped you didn't why? Where you asleep or big Trucks like you are special ? Lets see how many of you defend him!

Outwest
You stopped and the heavy truck didn't.
Could it be possible that your 4 wheeler stops in a very short distance as compared to a heavy truck?
Professional drivers have to make dozens of operational and safety related decisions every day.
Did it even occur to you that if the truck really tried to stop like you were able to, that the truck could have gone into a skid or jacknifed?

Could it be the truck driver is a professional experienced class one driver and you are a regular class 5 driver that hasn't a clue as to what it takes to operate heavy trucks?

Or is it that the logging truck should be already SLOWING down when he knows there are lights in front of him. I think everyone knows it is very hard for these trucks to stop on a dime. But some common sense should come into play here. The bypass is full of lights so does this mean that the big trucks have always green lights and to heck with the other drivers that really do see all three colours up on the lights. So much for the logging trucks wanting to share the public highways in a safe manor. No reason to jackknife if you are doing only the allowed speed. It is funny that Trimac drivers are able to obay the laws and they are mostly filled with gas.

Outwest: "Just seen one (heavy truck) running a Red Light at Ferry and Hwy.16 fully loaded yesterday morning,..."

The obvious solution is the installation of amber flashing warning lights such as are at the bottom of Peden Hill.

These are also needed on the Bypass ahead of virtually every intersection.

Heavy trucks blow through red lights there every day and during the night.

Pity the stopped unaware non-professional driver who thinks it is o.k. to move into the intersection when the light goes green! Always count to three or four first - it will save one from becoming an instant statistic.

Just ignore the horns blaring behind you!

That light at Ferry& 16 has been tripping back and forth all frekin week.Even without any cars activating the signal.
The timeing is way out on it.

I think the problem is, that, there are very few professional truck drivers around here, and 4 wheelers, are just as bad at times. what ever your driving, you should always be prepared to stop, if, thats a problem, for a driver, then, they shouldn't be on the road

I agree the last week that light has been all buggered up going red with no cars activating the signal.

The problem with stopping fast is blind spots behind you... which is a greater danger statistically. Nobody wants to eat the back of 60-tons.

I try to give the big trucks lots of space. They are heavy which makes things more difficult for them. Slow down and let them pass when ever possible. On the flip side, some sure don't know where their trailer tires are when they come through a bend of the road and the trailer is in your lane. Especially around Fox Drive corner.

Eagleone writes..."
The problem with stopping fast is blind spots behind you... which is a greater danger statistically. Nobody wants to eat the back of 60-tons."

Could you please explain what you mean by that?
What does a blind spot behind you have to do with it and what stats are you reffering to?

The rear ending 60 tons is perfectly clear. If you rearend it, it's your fault.


Sometimes heavy trucks run red lights because it is not always possible to stop safely. That is at the discretion of the driver. When a driver knows they are going to run the light it is their responsibility to sound their horn when entering the intersection.

Thats one reason why you shouldn't take off from any green light immediately upon it going green. It's called defensive driving. Never assume everyone will always beable to stop.

It is absolutely NOT the discretion of a drive when they can or can not run a red light!! If you think it takes longer to stop your rig, drive slower, be more aware at intersections and maintain space between vehicles - stop tailgating people at highway speeds, rain snow or sun!

That is one of the many reasons that these jokers need to drop the misnomer "professional" from their name. Doing something for a living does not make you a professional.

Next thing you know we'll have the professional janitors imploring us to be more careful when there is dirt on our boots, and professional retail sales clerks lobbying for 6 weeks vacation...

Sorry rayban you misinterpreted my statement.
I wrote..."Sometimes heavy trucks run red lights because it is not always possible to stop safely. That is at the discretion of the driver."

What I meant by this is if the driver does not think he/she can stop safely at an intersection then sometimes it is neccesary to proceed through the intersection.
This action is at the discretion of the driver.
The driver is not going to hammer the brakes simply because the light has changed. That is a foolish move on anyones part never mind a professional driver in control of a heavy truck.

I laugh at people that make comments regarding issues they have no experience doing themselves.
This is where the term armchair quarterback comes from.

Now that I have read the rest of your rant I see you have some personal issues with truckers and other professionals.

Whether it be a heavy truck or a small car, sometimes it is impossible to stop at every red light that is thrown up at you. Thats life.

Thats why I said above..."Thats one reason why you shouldn't take off from any green light immediately upon it going green. It's called defensive driving. Never assume everyone will always beable to stop."

For sure that's life. Sometimes people make mistakes, look over at their stereo or pick up a sandwich, miss the light change and all of sudden the light is red. In that case they are still of course 100% at fault for running a red light, but yes, you hammer on that horn, and hang on tight.

I have no issues with professional, I have issues with people calling themselves professionals when they are not. Whats the point in calling Engineers, Doctors, Lawyers professionals when everyone starts tacking that onto the front of their occupation?

As far as truckers in particular goes, there is a lot of truth to the old statement 'bad news travels 10 feet good news travels 1'. Any rational person understands that its a fact of life that the economy here rides on the backs of truckers, and there really should be a bit of extra courtesy extended to truckers.

The unfortunate reality is that until a real concentrated effort is made by all truckers to improve their reputation its pretty hard for the average joe that is being intimidated on the road by 10% of the truckers to give the other 90% the benefit of the doubt.

Much like running the odd red light that's just life.

Rayban68: I think you misinterpret the title "professional" It has many meanings and here, in this instance, it simply refers to being an expert at what you do for work. Certainly not all the folks who drive trucks are professional truckers.

would it be reasonable to suggest that the heavy trucks run a lot of red lights simply because a driver cannot anticipate the lights around here.seems to me the people who have control of timing the lights are having fun programming them.
give all the lights a 20 seconds or whatever on green and same on red.maybe then the truck drivers can read them more easily.
that's this mans opinion.

Using Ferry Ave and Hwy 16 as an example, what happens is this.......
The lights at this intersection usually stay green for east and west hwy 16 traffic until a vehicle approaches the light on Ferry Ave. When a vehicle gets to this intersection approaching from Ferry Ave, the sensors in the road switch the light so fast that any traffic on hwy 16 has very little warning.
The light changes to amber even before the vehicle that tripped the sensor has come to a stop. Way too fast in my opinion and there are many other intersections in PG that do the same thing.
If there was, lets say a 5 or 10 second delay before the light changed that would help reduce red light running somewhat IMO.
These fast light changes are way too fast for 4 wheelers never mind heavy trucks.
Driving one of these rigs is nowhere near comparible to any 4 wheeler out there. For anyone that has never driven a heavy truck with a class one licence and think that because you can stop no problem in your tiny little car or pickup because the light changed on you, that heavy trucks can do the same, are simply on drugs.

There are a few professions where everyone is an export, and three are....

1. Cook, I have been to many camps where everyone in camp can cook macaroni and cheese so that then qualifies him/her to criticise the cook on how to cook for 200 men.

2. Teacher, Everyone has been to school, so that seems to automatically qualify people to determine whether a teacher is of any value or not.

3. Truck Driver, Everyone can drive a car so that must make him/her an expert on driving a truck.

I drive a truck for a living and I'm sure most jobs out there with the exception of maybe a doctor I could bluff my way thru for a day, but I'm sure most could not get my truck out of the yard without some training.

I meant, expert not export.

I agree the lights at Ferry and 16 are crap. The main problem at intersections is that its a crap shoot on what the lights are going to do. Some European countries the steady green will start to flash then yellow then red. This allows more time to stop when approaching an intersection. I phoned the highways to discuss this and all I got was a bunch of bone head excuses why it couldn't be done by the head bonehead.

Lostfaith, the stat was from the trucker channel on the satellite radio. 80% of all serious injury accidents with a rig are from a 4-wheeler rear ending the trailer. In some cases this is a result of traveling to close....

The other evening in the glare of the opposing headlights right as we passed I had a deer jump out in front of a truck coming the other direction, and that truck spiked his brakes enough that the deer jump out just in time in front of my truck and I spiked my brakes just enough that the deer made it across. In both cases had a hypothetical car been too close behind its speculation whether this would have registered before the initial reaction of hitting the brakes with a deer suddenly in the headlights. Thus the moral of the story is tailgating isn't always a good thing especially during the daylight when you can't always see the headlights in the mirrors. A good truck driver watches as much out the mirrors as the windshield.

There are good drivers out there for sure...driving both the big trucks and the smaller vehicals. But there are the monkeys, that are in control of a loaded logging truck or a chip van that have no business bein on the roads. I'm talkin the monkeys doin the racing... passing another loaded truck on the Hart or Bypass, goin side by side stop light to stop light....why.....he's got more horse power, can shift better than the other? The drivers goin through red left turn lights at 5th and the bypass....red lights anywheres they just didn't use enough common sense and skill to allow for a light they know damn well is going to change or just knowing the little vehical will let them have their way? A class one doesn't allow you to blow red lights at your own discretion....well maybe thats the impression some of these monkeys believe...what would a pilots licence allow you to do at a red light....just fly through? I know a lot of truckers....they are some of the best drivers out there, its a job, a trade and like most others, they take pride in their job. They know who these monkeys are....they share the roads with them. Like the radio message says....unsafe is un acceptable!

Eagleone writes..."Thus the moral of the story is tailgating isn't always a good thing especially during the daylight when you can't always see the headlights in the mirrors."

When is tailgating EVER a good thing?

Why does one need to see the headlights in the mirrors?

Do you mean that if a driver see's headlights in their mirrors while cruising down the road that they wouldn't or shouldn't hit the brakes if they are about to collide with something, just to avoid being rearended?
Cause thats what it sounds like you are implying.