driving a rig in traffic; rant

[michaleenflynn]

Because isn't it automatic that if you rear-end someone, you get the ticket?

Yes. In NYS, anyway.

[Angelico]

Agree, but there are times when you only have a small amount of space to stop before you do ram into them. And I'm not sure who technically would get the ticket in that accident. Because isn't it automatic that if you rear-end someone, you get the ticket? How can they prove that the person cut you off unless a good samaritan stops as a witness? And let's be honest, no one stops for fender benders just to witness.

And if I do have to stop suddenly, I make sure I use every inch of space I can to the point where they could make out individual squished bugs on my grille from their rearview mirror. Then I lay on the horn for good measure.

Yes, I think it is an automatic ticket (usually) however in a hairy situation, something like a couple hundred bucks should be an afterthought. Safety first. Luckily most cops I know are pretty understanding of those of us driving loaded, and I'd venture to guess if someone did cut you off it while hauling you could probably get out of it in court.

[horsepoor]

I've been hit hauling my horse when an idiot driver entered the freeway too fast for conditions (wet and raining buckets), hydroplanes, spun, and took out two other cars and my horse trailer. Horse ok but sore, trailer totaled. You try hard to be prepared but sometimes can't avoid the idiots.

I know driving in traffic, if I leave a stopping gap ahead, I'll get cut off as cars whizz in there, but what other choice is there? Close the gap and risk slamming on the brakes as traffic stops? You just have to deal with it and it sucks. People are stupid, oblivious, and careless.

Last time I hauled over to my vet, traveling 50 mph downhill on the local highway, a couple of motorcycles were on the shoulder. One pulled out right in front of me, like I was invisible. Big truck, big white trailer...invisible. I had to brake and was so close I thought my bumper would catch his back tire. Scared the heck out of me, his buddy still on the side of the road probably saw it and fainted, but I don't think doofus ahead had a clue. Guy deserved to be ran over, but I didn't want to wreck!

You just have to try to make up for their stupidity by paying extra attention, watching every which way, and anticipating all the asinine things they will do. Allow lots of extra time, stopping distance, etc.

Is it any wonder my horses haven't been off the home property in a year now?!

[wendy]

I had a SCHOOL BUS dart in front of my trailer once. You'd think at least a commercial driver of a large vehicle would know better, wouldn't you?
That was a bad moment- I thought I was going to kill the kids AND the horses for a millisecond there.

[nashfad]

Avoiding rush hr cannot happen at times. Just remember that it is your road also. Go slow and pray alot (I do) and if all else fails, block the road until they all get out of your way!!!

[GoForAGallop]

Yes. In NYS, anyway.

It is entirely dependent on state, and whether your state is an "at fault" or "no fault" state.

Yes, I think it is an automatic ticket (usually) however in a hairy situation, something like a couple hundred bucks should be an afterthought. Safety first. Luckily most cops I know are pretty understanding of those of us driving loaded, and I'd venture to guess if someone did cut you off it while hauling you could probably get out of it in court.

Uh, it's more than just a ticket, FYI, if anyone is thinking about plowing through any rear windshields with their truck grill, anytime soon. It's MUCHO points on your insurance to hit someone, which is going to skyrocket your yearly rates. Additionally, you better hope that that other driver doesn't suddenly develop whiplash, and send hundreds of thousands of medical bills your way. (Or your insurance company's way....either way, it's going to result in more money out of your pocket, whether you have to pay, or your rates go up.)

Unless there's a handy traffic camera around, saying they cut you off is just words, particularly if you are in an at-fault state where you're automatically in the wrong just because you hit the back bumper with your front.



I realize that nobody is about to actually hit someone just to teach them a lesson, but I felt like I had to clarify that the penalties are more than "a couple hundred bucks" from the ticket.

[beowulf]

I also understand. I live in RI and anytime we take the horses anywhere, we have to go through Providence, which has a couple of really bad sections of sharply winding turns with cars zipping around you at 70+ mph. I am also really careful to leave space between me and the car in front so I can stop and everyone here is like, oh look at that open space, I'm going to TAKE IT! and before I know it, I'm basically not moving at all because it takes so much extra time to gain that buffer space back. Talk about a traffic nightmare.

I drove my horse once through Providence (he was boarded not too far off and I attended JWU) and I still have PTSD from it..! Being on 95 around those two tight turns while people are slamming on the brakes, merging from two different sides and swerving is not ideal!!

OP, I hope your morgan is okay and that you are as well!!

[Plainandtall]

Not defending them- but I am pretty sure that the people who drive like that are not intentionally malicious- they are simply totally ignorant of what it takes to drive a trailer (and stop one) and they have no comprehension that the cargo is A: Alive. B: Standing up C: dealing with the forces of physics D: able to get hurt pretty easily and E: emotionally experiencing all of it

even if it's a stock trailer with the animals clearly visible- these people simply don't make the connection.

[ambar]

My biggest pet peeve is when I'm on the interstate, in right lane, with cars in the left lane as well. In other words, I have nowhere to go and then.....someone cruises onto the freeway in the entrance lane and just ASSumes that I will move over. No, I am not going anywhere because there is nowhere to go! More than once I have been convinced that they are going to slam into the side of truck/trailer. And do they speed up or otherwise pace themselves to merge properly? No they do not.

I've put 'em in the ditch more than once. I can't speed up, I can't slow down; they're more maneuverable, so start maneuvering!

[PrimoAmor]

People are stupid. The last time I hauled something was wrong with the braking system. No matter what I did the trailer brakes were locking up with the slightest touch of my brakes. I mean the truck wouldn't even start braking and the trailer brakes would lock up. I messed with them and then finally had to turn them off. We had quite the haul in the rain up and down several hills. Luckily back roads but I sure pissed some people off.

[suz]

Everyone should rehearse this in their mind. I will not swerve. I will brake but will hold the path. A jackknifed trailer is much more likely to be dangerous to you and the horse. Smashing into another vehicle straight ahead is much safer than angled impacts. Your airbags will do better protecting you. The horse(s) are much better protected if the trailer stays upright. Better bruises than broken legs.

otoh isn't the driver behind always at fault in these situations?
while of course i'd rather be at fault than have my horse have a broken leg, there is the insurance/ liability issue to consider too.

[Angelico]

It is entirely dependent on state, and whether your state is an "at fault" or "no fault" state.



Uh, it's more than just a ticket, FYI, if anyone is thinking about plowing through any rear windshields with their truck grill, anytime soon. It's MUCHO points on your insurance to hit someone, which is going to skyrocket your yearly rates. Additionally, you better hope that that other driver doesn't suddenly develop whiplash, and send hundreds of thousands of medical bills your way. (Or your insurance company's way....either way, it's going to result in more money out of your pocket, whether you have to pay, or your rates go up.)

Unless there's a handy traffic camera around, saying they cut you off is just words, particularly if you are in an at-fault state where you're automatically in the wrong just because you hit the back bumper with your front.



I realize that nobody is about to actually hit someone just to teach them a lesson, but I felt like I had to clarify that the penalties are more than "a couple hundred bucks" from the ticket.

No matter what the monetary cost, I personally could not stand knowing that I had injured or killed my horses trying to avoid someone that wasn't worth avoiding. I'll take my chances plowing through them.

[TheJenners]

Depending on state laws, the "hitter" isn't always at fault and sometimes the "hittee" gets the fine.

That's why (in some states) cops take class after class in collision reconstruction .

In my very PERSONAL opinion, drivers who let their emotions come to the forefront while hauling are the ones who have the worst time hauling. This includes frustration, anxiety, anger. If you are an attentive and defensive driver, you will see when someone is about to do this so you can already be reacting before it happens.

DH gets all road rage-y about being cut off when hauling, and I'm like "it happened, deal with it, stop yelling" . Of course, me sitting in the passenger seat saying "that red car is coming over" doesn't have any affect because DH a. doesn't believe me, b. believes if he maintains his pace, the driver of the car will see the folly of his/her ways and not come over. Both are wrong assumptions.

[Lori B]

TheJenners, that is an excellent observation. Drivers who think they can 'correct' the driving of others are scary, IMHO.

You can be both right and dead at the same time, turns out.

[HighFlyinBey++]

Let me preface by saying that I do NOT know either the driver or the horse owner, nor do I know details. The photo just came across my Facebook page this afternoon.

The linked page is public. At 9:47 this morning, she posted 3 horses loaded, and were off to clinic!! Alright kids, lets pretend were civilized citizens.

At 10:42, less than one hour later, she posted this photo. From what I gather, Doc was the client's horse, the late addition

Don't be a schmuck behind the wheel.

[beowulf]

Let me preface by saying that I do NOT know either the driver or the horse owner, nor do I know details. The photo just came across my Facebook page this afternoon.

The linked page is public. At 9:47 this morning, she posted 3 horses loaded, and were off to clinic!! Alright kids, lets pretend were civilized citizens.

At 10:42, less than one hour later, she posted this photo. From what I gather, Doc was the client's horse, the late addition

Don't be a schmuck behind the wheel.

That is so scary..

It is just like being on a motorcycle. You can do everything right and still wind up dead.

[Tom King]

Maybe we need to do what the Russians do and have a forward pointing camera on our cars.

I've had one for years.

[Tom King]

The average person is stupid, ignorant, and selfish. A good part of my brainpower used while pulling is profiling the drivers around me, and anticipating what they are going to do.

If the phone rings while I'm driving, and it's someone who wants to talk to me, Pam simply says, "He's driving. He won't talk on the phone." If it's someone who knows me well, she simply says, "He's driving".

I've been driving legally since June 27, 1965- my 15th Birthday. I don't know how many million miles. Zero accidents. Zero tickets (that I was convicted on). I don't drive slowly.

[enjoytheride]

Once we were going to a lesson, my friend was driving. The traffic in the right hand lane was an off ramp for another highway which was backed up. We're going MAYBE 25 mph, plenty of room to stop, etc.

Some guy in a small truck pulls directly in front of us then STOPS, trying to get someone let him into the off ramp. We actually hit him. We were busy trying to figure out how to get a horse trailer to the side of the road when he swered into the gravel shoulder and took his exit. No damage to our much bigger truck but I could see damage on his tailgate as he left the scene. Asshole.

[pAin't_Misbehavin']

I was hauling the other day on a two lane country road when I got behind a moped.

I was not going to pull into the opposing lane of traffic to pass the moped. But I made sure I left enough stopping distance between my truck and the moped that I wouldn't run him over if he fell off or stopped suddenly.

So what does the boy racer in the Dodge behind me do? Right. Whips around me going way too fast, whips back in front of me to avoid oncoming traffic - and nearly takes out the moped, whom he didn't see until he nearly had him as a hood ornament.

If they'd have wrecked? Yeah, I'd have slowed down the best I could but no, I don't swerve when I'm hauling. There would've definitely been some slow ridin' and sad singin'.