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Blind curves, hills, bad weather, distracted drivers, drunk drivers, all kinds of things can go wrong with that situation. The reason I posted this is because every day I drive on a coastal road and see tourists happily driving along at 35 or 40 mph in a 55 zone, while admiring the scenery, and I'm coming up behind them at 70 mph. I'm fine with it, my brakes are good, my cell phone is turned off, and I'm paying 100% attention to the road. But it occurs to me that the slow pokes don't know that. I could be a tired fuel truck driver 10 and a half hours into my shift, trying to make it to the next truck stop before the end of my shift, while at the same time, trying to get my log books caught up on my computer. The slow pokes would never know what hit them, until they felt themselves burning to death.
Oh so all of those things can do no wrong when you are coming behind someone at 70MPH in 55MPH And please drop this BS about I am paying 100% attention to the road - this seems to be getting old now
Blind curves, hills, bad weather, distracted drivers, drunk drivers, all kinds of things can go wrong with that situation. The reason I posted this is because every day I drive on a coastal road and see tourists happily driving along at 35 or 40 mph in a 55 zone, while admiring the scenery, and I'm coming up behind them at 70 mph. I'm fine with it, my brakes are good, my cell phone is turned off, and I'm paying 100% attention to the road. But it occurs to me that the slow pokes don't know that. I could be a tired fuel truck driver 10 and a half hours into my shift, trying to make it to the next truck stop before the end of my shift, while at the same time, trying to get my log books caught up on my computer. The slow pokes would never know what hit them, until they felt themselves burning to death.
People who drive hazardous material trucks get special training. Their are more responsibilities attributed to driving flammable materials for obvious reasons and extensive background checks. Any truck driver that kills another person could be convicted for manslaughter or homicide. It doesn't matter whether a car is breaking down or a police car is escorting an oversized truck or whatever the case may be, but in some cases traffic inevitably slows down, which is why all drivers must be paying attention to what's going on the road ahead of them. Sometimes someone has to drive slower, maybe they're driving a spare tire or they're behind someone else that's driving slow. If there is a tractor that is driving slow, you might have to move around it. It's not illegal to drive slower is the point, and it certainly doesn't give a person a reason to crash into it, especially since the car that rear-ended the car would be at fault. If you own anything of value, lawyers and insurance companies will be more than happy to take all that you're worth and if you don't have money, you might even end up in jail.
Oh so all of those things can do no wrong when you are coming behind someone at 70MPH in 55MPH And please drop this BS about I am paying 100% attention to the road - this seems to be getting old now
The normal (average) speed in a 55 zone is 65 mph. So I'm going 5 mph above the average, when I'm not stuck behind some sightseer going 35 mph. Don't tell me that it's BS. You know nothing about my driving. If you don't pay attention while you are driving, that is your problem. I do pay attention. You are probably one of those drivers who are texting away while driving. Which is exactly what these slow poke drivers should be worried about, but they don't seem to have a care in the world. Until they are engulfed in flames, when a fuel tanker slams into the back of their vehicle.
People who drive hazardous material trucks get special training. Their are more responsibilities attributed to driving flammable materials for obvious reasons and extensive background checks. Any truck driver that kills another person could be convicted for manslaughter or homicide. It doesn't matter whether a car is breaking down or a police car is escorting an oversized truck or whatever the case may be, but in some cases traffic inevitably slows down, which is why all drivers must be paying attention to what's going on the road ahead of them. Sometimes someone has to drive slower, maybe they're driving a spare tire or they're behind someone else that's driving slow. If there is a tractor that is driving slow, you might have to move around it. It's not illegal to drive slower is the point, and it certainly doesn't give a person a reason to crash into it, especially since the car that rear-ended the car would be at fault. If you own anything of value, lawyers and insurance companies will be more than happy to take all that you're worth and if you don't have money, you might even end up in jail.
Training is minimal. A HazMat driver doesn't have any special training. They have the normal six weeks (or less) of training that any truck driver goes through and they have to pass a HazMat test and apply for security clearance from the TSA, which takes 30 days.
It is certainly not illegal to drive slow (unless there is a minimum speed limit, or you are impeding traffic). But it could kill you, just like it did this woman. It's best to watch your rear view mirror. If you see drivers behind you gaining on you, then give it a little more gas. If they are driving faster than you, then you can probably go a bit faster yourself. Unless they are going crazy fast or something.
Driving slower than the flow of traffic, can kill you. Don't do it, if you value your life.
If i was driving the fuel truck and i was approaching a slow vehicle here's the thing I use the BRAKES. Sounds like the driver of the fuel truck was not looking far enough ahead.
The normal (average) speed in a 55 zone is 65 mph. So I'm going 5 mph above the average, when I'm not stuck behind some sightseer going 35 mph. Don't tell me that it's BS. You know nothing about my driving. If you don't pay attention while you are driving, that is your problem. I do pay attention. You are probably one of those drivers who are texting away while driving. Which is exactly what these slow poke drivers should be worried about, but they don't seem to have a care in the world. Until they are engulfed in flames, when a fuel tanker slams into the back of their vehicle.
A fuel tanker or any other truck driver should not be driving at excessive speeds anyway. They darn shouldn't be driving so close to the car in front of them that they don't allow room to slow down or stop should the car in front of them abruptly slow down or stop for some reason. Think of the times where traffic is slowed on an interstate because of an accident. People are caught in a traffic jam of cars going 15 miles per hour (at that) and you're saying this is dangerous because there could be someone like you going 70MHP not paying attention? No, again, the fault lies with you.
Likewise, the fault still lies with you in the touristy area because you're going 15 miles an hour over the limit. Doesn't matter that others normally don't obey the speed limit laws, you're in the wrong. You even said it yourself that you pay 100% attention to the road and can stop or slow down at a moment's notice if you come upon a slow poke, which says that it hasn't anything to do with driving too slow, but everything to do with the fact that people drive at speeds to where they can't react quick enough if they come upon someone going under the limit.
And the fact is, if someone is going the speed limit and a fuel trucker is going 15 or 20 miles over the limit, the same thing will apply. If the trucker can't slow his truck down fast enough to keep from plowing into the back of the vehicle in front of him then he's going too fast and not paying attention. So really, it isn't about slow driving can kill, it's about distracted driving and driving at a speed where you are no longer in control of your vehicle.
From what you posted, there's no evidence to suggest the dump truck's speed is what got the driver killed. How slow was the dump truck going? How fast was the fuel truck going? Can't just automatically say driving slower than the flow of traffic can kill you, because that isn't always the case. Especially when the dump truck was driving in the right lane.
Exactly - maybe the 18 wheeler was going too fast.
A fuel tanker or any other truck driver should not be driving at excessive speeds anyway. They darn shouldn't be driving so close to the car in front of them that they don't allow room to slow down or stop should the car in front of them abruptly slow down or stop for some reason. Think of the times where traffic is slowed on an interstate because of an accident. People are caught in a traffic jam of cars going 15 miles per hour (at that) and you're saying this is dangerous because there could be someone like you going 70MHP not paying attention? No, again, the fault lies with you.
Likewise, the fault still lies with you in the touristy area because you're going 15 miles an hour over the limit. Doesn't matter that others normally don't obey the speed limit laws, you're in the wrong. You even said it yourself that you pay 100% attention to the road and can stop or slow down at a moment's notice if you come upon a slow poke, which says that it hasn't anything to do with driving too slow, but everything to do with the fact that people drive at speeds to where they can't react quick enough if they come upon someone going under the limit.
And the fact is, if someone is going the speed limit and a fuel trucker is going 15 or 20 miles over the limit, the same thing will apply. If the trucker can't slow his truck down fast enough to keep from plowing into the back of the vehicle in front of him then he's going too fast and not paying attention. So really, it isn't about slow driving can kill, it's about distracted driving and driving at a speed where you are no longer in control of your vehicle.
You do understand that a fully loaded truck takes at least 430 feet to stop from 55 mph, right. That's the best case scenario. In most states it's perfectly legal for truck drivers to travel a lot faster then that. So unless the truck driver spots your slow moving ass from over 1/8 of a mile away, you get to die in a fiery explosion. If the truck driver is going the legal speed limit of 70 mph (as this driver was likely doing), and he is 10 and a half hours into his shift almost ready to go to sleep, you can probably increase that stopping distance to 1/4 mile. So the sleepy truck driver has got to spot you from a quarter of a mile away, and hope there is no hills or curves between you and the truck driver. But hey, it's you right to drive as slow as you like, and endanger yourself and every other driver around you.
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And please drop this BS about I am paying 100% attention to the road - this seems to be getting old now 
