Who's at fault?

[txboy]

Here in Texas we have the right to the left lane just like cars for passing.

[DDC]

Both at fault as the film shows, truck should not have been travelling in the left lane, film shows right lane has no traffic, VW should not have moved into left lane until it was safe to do so and as the camera shows it was not because the truck sped up but the VW tried to force his way in and it did not go well.

[vinmaker]

Interesting. The truck seems to have crossed a solid yellow line. I wonder what the rules are for that. He then continues to drive at what appears to be the same rate of speed and does not check his speed after crossing the yellow line. His defense is that the VW pushed him into it. Would prudent driving dictate that he slow down once he crossed the solid yellow line?

This is a hard one.

Clearly the truck should have yielded in a defensive driving move to avoid an accident. Regardless of who is right and wrong, you need to drive defensively so this stuff does not happen. I think he was just trying to be a bully. He was bigger and was not going to let the VW in. The VW was wrong also by forcing his way in. The mistake the VW made was not getting in front of the guy. Then it would have been a rear end accident.

This is a tough one.

Vin.

[Platokidd]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

At the end you can hear him say "I gotta go, bye-bye." So he was probably on the phone.

I was looking for someone to mention this. It better have been hands free in Illinois.
Here in Il. they will check your cellfone.
Both drivers fall into the dumb driver section imo.

[Ford Idaho]

Originally Posted by vinmaker

Interesting. The truck seems to have crossed a solid yellow line. I wonder what the rules are for that. He then continues to drive at what appears to be the same rate of speed and does not check his speed after crossing the yellow line. His defense is that the VW pushed him into it. Would prudent driving dictate that he slow down once he crossed the solid yellow line?

This is a hard one.

[b]Clearly the truck should have yielded in a defensive driving move to avoid an accident. [?b]Regardless of who is right and wrong, you need to drive defensively so this stuff does not happen. I think he was just trying to be a bully. He was bigger and was not going to let the VW in. The VW was wrong also by forcing his way in. The mistake the VW made was not getting in front of the guy. Then it would have been a rear end accident.

This is a tough one.

Vin.

Why?

Is it harder for the car to slow down or is it easier for the truck?

The tuck has set the stage, it has held the left lane and maintained speed with that traffic ahead of it.

Would have been real easy for the car to get behind the truck and maintained flow of the left lane.

[BamaBob]

Originally Posted by Cowracer

Personal responsibility would dictate that you don't challenge a tiger while wearing a steak suit...

Tim

BEST.METAPHOR.EVER.

[vinmaker]

I see that also Fred Idaho.

I guess my initial reaction was that I saw the rear of the VW with its blinker on. I interpreted that to mean that the VW was ahead of the truck at that point. The VW may have had room to squeeze in (so very wrong on all accounts but possible). Then that window closed and the accident soon followed. If the VW was ahead, could the truck not have slowed?

I guess you just cannot fix stupid. Two strong willed individuals came across each other and broke a law of physics. This reminds me of a childhood fable - The Obstinate goats.

Vin.

[Platokidd]

Originally Posted by Platokidd

I was looking for someone to mention this. It better have been hands free in Illinois.
Here in Il. they will check your cellfone.
Both drivers fall into the dumb driver section imo.

Kudos to the other truck driver who moved outta the way.

[Salmon Hunter]

The VW cut in front. Putting a blinker on does not give you the right of way. Which makes the VW at fault. I think the truck was not paying close attention to his surroundings due to the fact he was talking on the phone. Both driver could have prevented the accident buy driving defensively.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

The tuck has set the stage, it has held the left lane and maintained speed with that traffic ahead of it.

If the truck would've maintained his speed the accident wouldn't have happened. It sure looks like he sped up to not let the VW in.


Also FWIW, the truck wasn't maintaining a very good following distance from the vehicle in front of him either.

[Ford Idaho]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

If the truck would've maintained his speed the accident wouldn't have happened. It sure looks like he sped up to not let the VW in.


Also FWIW, the truck wasn't maintaining a very good following distance from the vehicle in front of him either.

Following distance = yah I can jump in here and not have to wait 3 seconds for this dead slow in my way truck.

[BiigDaddy]

Close your eyes and listen to the trucks engine....

It holds constant. There's a second long deceleration as the car attempts to merge. I believe the trucker thinks in that moment of deceleration the car will take the right lane back--yet doesn't-- and continues his previous rpm. Then the accident happens. Overall, the truck's rpm doesn't change, I don't feel he accelerated as much as it is an optical illusion looking like he is. My $.02

[Hoglou]

At 0:16 the truck was responding to the vw by moving left prior to the vw crossing the white line. The truck appeared to properly not over react with excessive braking that could have caused an another wreck between whatever was being air towed behind his trailer (OTR drafting) that we don't see. I see the rig keeping up with the speed of traffic, no intent to excel (I did not a hear audio reporting a speed up either), others may differ.

I would talk pretty hard to the OTR about the fact that his flasher should have gone on when he began to move left and we should be hearing a constant horn from the rig on the audio.

I may have cited improper lane change and reckless driving to the vw, if there were no injuries. With injuries I would have only cited lane change viloations, and asked for BAC after transport. The reckless driving cite would include examination for impaired driving.

The citation(s) if any has as much to do with prior record and the LEO interview as anything else. Whoops and sorry does help, honestly in all comments. The VW issue could be one of many simple mistakes we make daily, just at a deadly wrong time.

The truck would likely have their logs reviewed by a dotcop in most states. OTR driver outcomes are based more on data record accuracy over the interview. Given collabrative negative input from those who report as witness behind the accident and the logs would picked apart word by word....


IMHO..

[B47]

Originally Posted by thatguy

Truck driver should have had his butt in the right lane so traffic didn't have to go around.

Disagree - the truck was passing another truck which puts him in the left lane.

Just another example of some idiot (car driver) trying to bulldozer his way to save a few seconds. I can just about guarantee that the small amount of time he would have saved was wiped out afterwards.

[l001952119]

Originally Posted by TURBS

Turbs: In response to your question, an idiot or even a well educated monkey could determine the car was at fault! PERIOD!!!

The car made an unsafe lane change in front of the apparent truck located in left lane. The car is 100% at fault and violated the state law for lane changes.

PS: Thanks for sending us the snow last night in the Fort Worth area!

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by l001952119

Turbs: In response to your question, an idiot or even a well educated monkey could determine the car was at fault! PERIOD!!!

The car made an unsafe lane change in front of the apparent truck located in left lane. The car is 100% at fault and violated the state law for lane changes.

PS: Thanks for sending us the snow last night in the Fort Worth area!

You're WELCOME!
I'm done with it!

TURBS

[caper]

If you watch the video the transport truck is gaining on the blue pickup through the whole video. The truck driver did not speed up. As for not leaving enough space the first car that passed and pulled in front of the truck driver took away his safe space. I had the same thing happen to me while towing but I was in the driving lane and a small car pulled back in front of me a put on the brakes. I stopped with less the 1/2 inch between the two vehicles. If I had hit the car in front who would be at fault? It would have been me for hitting the person from behind. Was it my fault I would have to say no. I was slowing for a construction site and trying to leave a safe stopping distance between me and the car in front.

[Cover Dog]

VW gets the ticket. I was a semi truck driver for over 20 years. 6 of those we're hauling gas , diesel & jet fuel in a 9200 gal. tanker. Have been in that situation more times then I care to remember.

The VW after hitting the truck also takes out a tire on the forward tandem axel of the truck to his right. You can see it smoke and then watch the truck pull over in the distance.

VW is lucky he wasn't pushed under the truck to his right.

[5er_tom]

The other side of the issue is, which driver had the last opportunity to avoid the accident?


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[geotex1]

Interesting discussions and viewpoints in this thread! Can see how folks argue emotional aspects and distinct aspects of the laws governing the privilege of driving in the US as well as from perspective of experience behind the wheel of a passenger vehicle versus a semi. I personally feel that anyone who has taken a defensive driving course, especially a true behind the wheel course, would arrive at a uniform conclusion...