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Re: Stupid Truck Drivers incompetence, Tax Payers Loss & Metrolinks gain
Author: The Snowman
Date: 12-15-2011 - 12:17
Drew Jacksich Wrote:
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> If having a burning set of brakes and probably
> tires under a tanker of gasoline isn't dangerous,
> I really don't know what is.
Could it be dangerous? Sure, but a simple brake fire wouldn't be immediately dangerous, and that's the issue here. Could the driver have moved the truck another 50-100' feet to clear the overpass? Probably in most cases, and I think that's what the original poster was thinking would have been a more appropriate action. What I do know is often people overreact to fires, especially small ones, and an organized thought process goes out the window. Did the driver have to stop immediately, and foot bail, or in reality did he have more time to take additional precautions? If the driver was not injured, I would lean toward him having some additional time. We weren't there, so we will never know.
Having witnessed more
> than a few tanker fires and seen the cremated
> remains of drivers pulled from the cab, I know
> what can happen.
I too know what can happen, as I've actually pulled a few dead people out of vehicles. I don't try to keep a count of how many.
I had, at one time in a previous
> life, a haz-mat endorsement on my Class A license.
I'm not sure what your getting at with this statement? If you transported hazardous materials such as gasoline, then you would know how the trailers are constructed, and out of what materials. You would know that explosions don't happen immediately following brake fires, and how the trailers are designed to react in the event of a fire. There are far more fatalities due to traffic accidents that result in fire, then strictly vehicle fires.
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> If having a burning set of brakes and probably
> tires under a tanker of gasoline isn't dangerous,
> I really don't know what is.
Could it be dangerous? Sure, but a simple brake fire wouldn't be immediately dangerous, and that's the issue here. Could the driver have moved the truck another 50-100' feet to clear the overpass? Probably in most cases, and I think that's what the original poster was thinking would have been a more appropriate action. What I do know is often people overreact to fires, especially small ones, and an organized thought process goes out the window. Did the driver have to stop immediately, and foot bail, or in reality did he have more time to take additional precautions? If the driver was not injured, I would lean toward him having some additional time. We weren't there, so we will never know.
Having witnessed more
> than a few tanker fires and seen the cremated
> remains of drivers pulled from the cab, I know
> what can happen.
I too know what can happen, as I've actually pulled a few dead people out of vehicles. I don't try to keep a count of how many.
I had, at one time in a previous
> life, a haz-mat endorsement on my Class A license.
I'm not sure what your getting at with this statement? If you transported hazardous materials such as gasoline, then you would know how the trailers are constructed, and out of what materials. You would know that explosions don't happen immediately following brake fires, and how the trailers are designed to react in the event of a fire. There are far more fatalities due to traffic accidents that result in fire, then strictly vehicle fires.
