Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/117975
PREVENTABLE or NOT? Doe ���abbergasted by jacked ���atbed P eering through a spring snow squall at 11 p.m. on a dark and lonely interstate highway with two lanes in each direction, tractor-trailer driver John Doe headed toward Fairbanks with a trailer load of Chinese parkas and a giant bag of grapes riding shotgun. At the moment, Doe was sipping heavy-duty coffee while softly humming ���North To Alaska��� and watching the rapid approach of headlights in his West Coast mirror. While the posted speed limit was 65 mph, lousy conditions had motivated Doe to back down to 35, but the nut behind him ��� Freddy ���Flatbed��� Fryhopper ��� still was rolling along at warp speed. Before long, Flatbed���s John Doe, who���d rig ���ashed past and disappeared like a ghost into blindly crested a the white haze ahead. Minutes later, the snow squall hill preceding an abated, visibility slightly improved, and Doe crept up icy downgrade, to 55 mph. couldn���t avoid a It still was snowing lightly, however, as Doe blindly ���atbed that had crested a hill preceding a long and moderately-steep jacked comdowngrade curving toward the right ��� Oh no! pletely across both lanes. Was Halfway down the grade, Flatbed���s ���atbed was jacked this a preventcompletely across both lanes! And the roadway was able accident? glazed with ice! While Doe couldn���t slow down much, his tractor���s anti-lock brakes enabled him to steer toward the rear of Flatbed���s trailer, which he struck and shoved aside like a barn door, thereafter sliding to a stop. Since Doe contested the preventable-accident warning letter he received from his safety director, the National Safety Council���s Accident Review Committee was asked to pass judgment. NSC ruled against Doe, noting that he���d blindly hit the downgrade at 55 mph and was going too fast for conditions. 108 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | APRIL 2013 Rig Dig_CCJ0413_PG108.indd 1 CCJ_0413_Preventable.indd 108 3/21/13 9:56 AM 3/21/13 10:37 AM