4-Wheeler Almost Hits Me

I'm proud to be the headline in our newest article! Haha!

Absolutely!

Your Mirrors May Hold The Key To Predicting The Future

I hope you're awake and feeling better now so I won't get in trouble again.

Jeezzzzzz! They were late for their own funeral! After spending 8 years in the surgery department of a major medical center I've seen what happens to people after they are pulled from their twisted wreck of a car and it still surprises me how inattentive folks are when driving. Just glad they didnt trade paint with ya.

Oh, also, as a side note for you 2 wheel drivers out there, put a damn helmet on and wear some safety gear. Do not be the jackwagon that noodles around on his crotch rocket wearing shorts and a pair flip flops. I've seen how that plays out too many times.

Years ago when I use to ride a motorcycle I always wore a helmet. No way I would not wear one. I know there are people that refuse to wear helmets and it's not the rides that cause the accidents. It's the other people that are around them most times with a few knucklehead exceptions out there.

Yea, I hear ya. I know too many people who just wear a skullcap and call it good. Unfortunately, that dosent protect your melon from the concrete. You're right, people do need to watch out for 2 wheelers more. Seen too many 2 wheel v 4 wheel, 2 wheel v truck, 2 wheel v bridge abutment.

Brett, I can't tell if you think I wasn't watching my mirrors or not but I was.

I wasn't saying that at all. That's why I said in the first line that my comments weren't directed at you or anyone else. It's just some general thoughts on watching your mirrors and remaining vigilant for crazy things like that. What happened to you was an awesome example of how the craziest things can happen completely out of the blue in an instant.

Yeah I posted that when I just woke up. Saw it after I posted it. Long night in Phoenix with my APU broken. Hardly slept! Eh.

O man you were in Phoenix? you should have told me and you could have slept on my couch in the AC and swam in my pool instead of spending all night in a hot truck! hahahaha

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

This was scary just watching. Good on you for keeping your cool. Some people just seem to have a death wish when they get behind the wheel. The thing I notice most around the area I live is not letting trucks merge onto the highway: people speed up/slow down and ride right alongside them instead of getting over or braking to let them in. Um, hello! You in the Honda Civic! You're facing off against an 80,000 lb monster! You are not going to win! Then they act like the semi cut them off when he's forced out of the merge lane.

If it makes you feel better (probably won't), they do it to their fellow four-wheelers too. A couple months ago I was driving across an overpass when I heard sirens. I pulled over, and the shoulder where I stopped was very close to the entrance ramp of the highway. Well, the woman behind me didn't like that at all. I don't know if she didn't hear the ambulance, or heard it and just wanted to get on the ramp before it came. She started blaring her horn over and over, flipping the bird, etc. I'm sitting there with my hands raised in a "what gives"; sorry lady, but I'm not moving for you or anyone else except the ambulance that's coming up behind us. Finally she decides she's not waiting any longer and pulls a sharp left to get around me; coming inches from clipping the ambulance, who swerved several feet to avoid her.

It seems like people forget that life is not a videogame and there are real consequences to the actions we take as drivers; two, four, and eighteen wheelers included. I was taught that a moving vehicle is a loaded gun, and the accelerator is the trigger. If everyone tried to have more patience and respect for the road, our highways would be a much safer place.

Always in a hurry to get to a red light lol.

I want to bump this up to remind all our new drivers and soon to be drivers just now unpredictable cars can be. Always expect the unexpected, getting into an accident in a semi is extremely easy so always focus and don't distract yourself.

Hope you enjoy the video!

I had something similar happen when I took my road test. I was on an on-ramp, preparing to merge left onto the freeway per my examiner's instructions. A black SUV behind me darts left at his first opportunity. I thought he was going to hit the guard rail as he shot out like a rocket between it and my trailer, across the solid white "you should never drive here" lines. He then creeps along, apparently admiring how pretty my white 53 foot trailer was with the left signal on, not moving into the open left lanes. I was providing narrative for what I'm seeing, and the examiner just says, "follow the ramp ahead back off the highway," since it's a clover leaf.

I thought I was surely going to fail my test during the rest of the drive back to the testing site because of this moron. Thankfully, the examiner liked that I was able to keep myself calm. :)

Daniel B., thanks for sharing, your video just reenforces what my safety managers hammered into our heads for two days during new driver orientation. For other rookie drivers and those in school, here are some of the points that they hammered:

1. Aim High in Steering Look 15 seconds into your future. (Don’t just look at the vehicle in front of you) 2. Get the Big Picture Look for Hazards. (Other Motorists, Pedestrians, Vehicle doors opening) 3. Keep Your Eyes Moving Don’t stare. (Use your peripheral vision)(Stop the fixed habit stare) 4. Leave Yourself an Out Monitor the space cushion around you and your bike. 5. Make sure They See You Use your signals- (Directionals, 4-Way Flashers, Head Lights, Brake Lights, Horn, Hand Signals) Make Eye Contact.

Glad Daniel B, it turned out the way it did. Way to stay cool in the saddle.

Samuel, that's the Smith System, and I'm a big fan of it. Used it for driver training at the last two jobs I was at. :) Did they show you the video that goes with it?

Samuel, that's the Smith System, and I'm a big fan of it. Used it for driver training at the last two jobs I was at. :) Did they show you the video that goes with it?

Every video, with a written test to follow