i am a class a truck driver. I want to drop a friendly reminder to people that if the weather is kind of iffy. please turn on your headlights and if your car is equipped with auto driving lights turn on your running lights. nothing is worse than a car without any lights on driving in the rain and driving right next to my trailer in the spray of the rain. it is very unsafe for everyone. Also please leave more room when you pass a truck we are rolling down the road hauling 80,000 pounds and we can not stop very fast or in a short distance. being in a big hurry is not worth you risking yours, mine, your families, and everyone elses life.
so please just remember the people driving the truck are people too and would like to get home to their families just as much as you would.
i thank you and happy holidays
Can’t argue with that. People forget that when the driving lights are on, their tail lights are not on. If it were up to me, the driving lights would include the tail lights.
Now when you pass me in a snow storm, just remember that I am totally blinded for about a block from the white out. And when two or three of you are running close together 10 mph faster than most everyone, it’s really a long term white out.
Good Advice. Five Of Our GM Cars Have Automatic Day-Time Running Lights Which Illuminate In Front And If It Becomes Slightly Dark, Overcast, Rainy, Or Visibility Diminishes They Automatically Turn On The Tail Lights Which Becomes Obvious When The Driver Sees The Dash Lights Illuminate.
The system uses a dashboard mounted sensor and we never have to touch a switch. They’ve never failed to do what’s called for in all driving conditions. I wonder how many lives GM has saved and how many accidents have been prevented since they began installing these on most of their vehicles.
CSA
Whether someone’s car has automatic lighting or not, one of the biggest problems that I observe every year is drivers who fail to clear snow from their tail lights.
I’m not talking about the morons who simply clear a small patch of the windshield, and then proceed to drive what looks like a mobile snowbank. I’m talking about the people who are reasonably careful about clearing their windows and possibly their headlights, but then proceed to leave the snow covering their tail lights.
How can people be so dense as to not realize that you have to be able to see their tail lights and brake lights in order to avoid rear-ending them?
Don’t forget to adjust your speed for driving conditions. I saw a BMW 5-series head-on into a bridge piling on a recent cold and frozen winter morning.
My rationale has always been engine on = headlights on.
My grandma drove that into my head when she was teaching me how to drive. “They aren’t for you to see, they’re for others to see you” is what she kept telling me.
My current vehicle has automatic headlights on it, but I never use that function. Like with my previous car, I’d click the lights on after my car started. With my current car, I don’t even have to turn the switch, the lights go off by themselves after 30 seconds.
An excellent post. I’ve long wondered why lighting systems (head & taillights) were not simply connected to the ignition switch; engine on, lights on. And the other commenst are “spot-on” as well.
Headlights are cheap. Lives are priceless.
God bless.
Good post…but let me add one thing. I respect your request and agree 100%. But to open this conversation up, please ask a significant number of your brethren to stay off my asteroid while trying to build up speed to make a hill or pass. Some truck drivers won’t be happy till everyone goes 80 mph down hill and 45 up.
There are times when I feel like Dennis Weaver when driving my almost daily trip down 1A. There are most who do keep safe distances. There are others who are auditioning for Steven Spielberg rain or shine.
Btw, @bscar2 makes a very good point.
I am with you. Now here is my request for the truckers out there.
If there is a truck going on the highway on the right lane doing 54 mph please other truck drivers do not try to pass it while doing 56 mph.
And for everybody: Turn signal: I think some people take this literally, and turn first and then signal. It should be signal and turn. But again using a signal does not mean to click on the signal and go. Please make sure there is enough room for the truck. Please not force somebody else out of the lane.
It’s a common practice here in New England to put the signal on AS YOUR TURNING. Rarely do I see people put it on BEFORE they turn. My personal observation here in NH and MA…less then 5% use the turn signals correctly when they’re suppose to.
I generally hit my signal just before I start to slow down or brake for the turn
The law in MOST states is 100’ before turning. So you’re probably fine. Turning it on AS you’re turning is not following the law or it’s intent. The purpose of the signal is to show people around you what you’re intentions are. Signaling AS you’re turning is wrong.
There are two intersections I cross weekly. I sit there waiting for traffic to clear before I turn left. I have a stop-sign…and the street I’m turning on to doesn’t. Most of the traffic is to my left (very little ever comes from the right). And most of the traffic from the left turns right (onto the street I’m on). And I wait and wait and wait…but 99.999% DON’T use a signal. If they did I could easily have turned left. I don’t know they’re turning right until they do. That intersection gets backed up for at least 20 cars. If everyone used their signals there wouldn’t be a backup…
As Mike stated, in most states you are only required to turn the signal on 100’ before the turn. If you are driving in city traffic going 35 mph, that’s 50’/sec. With a blink cycle of about 100 blinks per minute, that’s about three blinks before the turn. But at highway or freeway speeds, that’s like one blink before the lane change so it will look like “turn and signal” to other drivers.
WHY OH WHY…
When it snows…
The same people who drive these roads day after day…
have NO CLUE where the lanes were yesterday ???
If you put your turn signal on as you turn, it’s too late - you already turned. Turning it on early, 100’ before the turn, will alert people behind you as well as those approaching that you will be turning. It gives them a chance to move over to avoid getting stuck behind you if traffic allows.
i agree with everyones post. i also agree with the people that say some truckers are rude drivers. Even as a truck driver i am more than happy to agree to that some are very rude. to reply to 252525’s post about some trucks doing 54 and another passing at only 56mph some trucks dont have much of a choice alot of trucking companies will govern the speed on the trucks to make the insurance cost less money. most any truck is governed. like mine is governed at 65 so when i am passing one who is set at 62. I feel bad for holding up traffic, so i try to make my passing when traffic is low.