re: What can be done to curtail this 18 wheeler problem?

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I recently saw a video where a car cut in front of a semi (is was in the right lane), and the car laid on the brakes to make an exit ramp. The semi struck the rear of the car. Law enforcement reviewed the video and cited the car driver for reckless driving and held that the semi driver was not at fault. I just looked for the video so I could link it , but can't find it.
Something else to consider is that there are times when a semi driver sacrifices himself and his rig to avoid hitting a car. That is what often leads to the semi flipping over. As an example of what I mean is that if I'm traveling down the highway and a deer jumps out in front of me, I'm going to hit the deer and not swerve to avoid the deer and wind up jack knifeing or running off the road. If a car jumps out in front of me, I'm going to do all I can to avoid the car.
There are a lot of nimrod truck drivers, but many, many more impatient and reckless car drivers. You guys driving cars, sometimes give the semi drivers a break, don't speed up and cut in front of them and lay on the brakes to make that turn or make that exit. Wait behind him and make your turn, what's it going to cost you, 15 or 20 seconds in time?

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And the moron who said in this thread that if that accident on 12 had produce it was most probably an Hispanic driver, that is the one of the most uninformed statements I have heard on the OT. What's he think, one of the Hispanics from the field stops picking the produce, jumps in a semi and drives it all the way from the Imperial Valley to I12 where he gets in a wreck. Lol

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Everyone is always quick to blame the semi drivers f or accidents, clogging up traffic, etc. My point is that it is not always the semi driver who is to blame. In fact, I would say that most times, it is the autos fault.

And the m irons in this thread saying everything should be shipped by train, go I'd luck with that. I'd like to see a nationwide strike by semi drivers for a few days, and when the grocery shelves go empty, the gas stations tanks go dry, auto factories stop production, and all commerce starts to come to a halt the public would be begging semi drivers to go back to work.

And the moron who said in this thread that if that accident on 12 had produce it was most probably an Hispanic driver, that is the one of the most uninformed statements I have heard on the OT. What's he think, one of the Hispanics from the field stops picking the produce, jumps in a semi and drives it all the way from the Imperial Valley to I12 where he gets in a wreck. Lol

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Relative Contribution/Fault in Car-Truck Crashes
February, 2013
The principal policy reason for evaluating fault, and the nature of errors that increase crash risk, is to design and implement cost-effective truck safety programs that yield the greatest safety benefits. In the context of prevention, it’s critical to understand relative fault since cars are involved in the majority of truck crashes. Over time, numerous studies have been conducted by federal agencies, universities, trade associations and independent researchers that utilized, at least in part, Police Accident Reports (PAR) to investigate contribution/fault, informing the design and implementation of fleet safety programs nationwide. The following summary highlights the results of four preeminent organizations in the field of vehicle crash causality.
University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI): UMTRI is a leader in truck-related crash research. The highlighted study assigns driver factors to 8,309 fatal car-truck crashes as a proxy for fault.
• Car drivers were assigned factors in 81% of crashes versus 27% of truck drivers
• The totals are greater than 100% because 10% of crashes assigned both the car and truck driver factors
• Cars were the encroaching vehicle in 89% of head-on crashes, 88% of opposite-direction sideswipes, 80% of rear-end crashes, and 72% of same-direction sideswipes—obvious indicators of fault
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): Tasked with “reducing deaths, injuries and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes,” NHTSA has undertaken extensive research on the topic. Their 2003 study assigned causal driver factors in 10,092 fatalities.
• Cars were assigned driver factors in 91% of head-on crashes, 91% of opposite-direction sideswipes, 71% of rear-end crashes, and 77% of same-direction sideswipes
• Trucks were the encroaching vehicle in 98% of backing accidents (represents less than 1% of sample set)
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety: The foundation’s mission is “to identify traffic safety problems, foster research that seeks solutions and disseminate information and educational materials.” This study, one of over 250 projects they’ve funded to discover the causes of crashes, examined 10,732 fatal accidents.
• 36% of car drivers were cited for two or more unsafe acts
• 11% of truck drivers were cited for two or more unsafe acts
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA): FMCSA is the primary regulating agency for the trucking industry whose stated mission is “to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.” Two studies are noted below.
Annual Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts: Cites driver factors in 6,131 car-truck fatal crashes
• 2007: 85% of cars were assigned driver factors versus 26% of trucks
• 2008: 85% of cars were assigned driver factors versus 26% of trucks
• 2009: 81% of cars were assigned driver factors versus 22% of trucks

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