Several Dead In 50-vehicle Pennsylvania Pile-up

As someone just starting their CDL school in a week, to see this is a nightmare.

Several dead in 50-vehicle Pennsylvania pile-up

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35570611

Thoughts and prayers to all involved in this.

I was just reading about that. It happens way too often and part of the reason it's preached so heavily in here, when the weather gets bad, slow down. Don't try to it drive the truck, the truck will always win and never get over confident with your driving ability.

This is also one of those cases where a cb will save lives.

This is also one of those cases where a cb will save lives.

OK, total newbie here, you'll need to explain how a cb would save lives in this situation.

OK, total newbie here, you'll need to explain how a cb would save lives in this situation.

If you have a CB and it's turned on other drivers can alert you to an accident/stopped traffic up ahead (among other things), allowing you time to slow down and prepare for it. Most of the trucks in the pileup might have been able to stop down in time had they been aware of what was on the road ahead.

This is also one of those cases where a cb will save lives.

OK, total newbie here, you'll need to explain how a cb would save lives in this situation.

(I didn't read the article, so this is a generic answer.)

Use the CB to warn truckers up the road about the accident - that they should stop safely where that are.

Fatal Pileup Shuts Pennsylvania Interstate Amid Strong Winds

Ok, I understand now, thank you!

Again, newbie with no experience behind the wheel, so this might seem like a dumb question, but could this have been prevented? Could the drivers have done something to change the outcome, or was this inevitable due to the seemingly sudden white out conditions on the road?

Assuming the conditions were such that they should have been on the road in the first place the main things you can do are:

1) Keep a ton of following distance and try to keep people from running alongside you also. Just stay as far away from everyone as you can

2) Keep your CB on and exchange information about road and weather conditions with drivers going the other way

3) If you do see a wreck ahead of you get those 4 ways going and get off to the side of the road onto the shoulder if you can. Assume others are going to come barreling in behind you unable to stop so you want to be out of their way.

There seems to be an awful lot of these gigantic pileups and they're always loaded with trucks. That tells me people aren't running with their CB's on in bad weather. There's no reason trucks should come barreling into wrecks after the fact like that. I know for a fact there are people on the CB screaming about that wreck the moment it happens and people simply aren't hearing the message.

I-78 between Interstate 81 and Exit 13 (PA 501/Bethel) are closed in both directions. Officials expect the closure to last through the night.