Auto Insurance In Mass.: How Much Do I Need?

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by newenglandgal123

Wow, no repercussions for driving without insurance and without a valid license? Not even a citation?

The other three folks ran. I got the plate info but essentially all the registered owners had no insurance/license and claimed the car was taken by someone else without their knowledge. There's more to the story(s) but that's the gist of it.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

Actually, one time they did cuff the guy, but it was due to outstanding warrants in an unrelated matter.

They didn't do jack to the other three, and told me it was essentially getting blood from a stone at that point.

Wow, tough luck. I've been rear-ended twice. Once at a stop sign by a guy in a lifted Dodge (he did some real damage to the back of my SUV) who had the nerve to get out and start yelling at me. I just told him I'm calling the police and got back in my car (they cited him). The other was by a small school bus, also at a stop sign. They also cited him (he was required to get the police report). I felt bad about that one. It was at an on-ramp under construction and accidents happened all the time. I hope he didn't lose his job. I got at least 5 or 6 calls from lawyers trying to convince me to sue the bus company. I'm not sure how they even found out about it unless they're pulling police reports trolling for clients.

Originally Posted by newenglandgal123

Wonder what repercussions him or his company may have faced if he rear ended me. Don't they need a special license to operate an 18 wheeler and shouldn't they be aware that their poor choices have very significant consequences to other drivers around them due to the weight of their load?

It's not an excuse for tailgating in the right lane, but he may not have passed you if it was in an area where trucks are prohibited from the left lane(s). The repercussions depend on a lot of factors. He'd probably be cited at the very least, but it could be worse if he's found to be under the influence, operating illegally (over allotted time on the clock, not keeping an up to date log, not taking the required breaks, driving a vehicle that's in violation of any regulations, expired license or certifications, etc.), repeat offenses, etc. Yes, they need a specific type of CDL and yes, they're aware of what their truck can do to cars around them. But truck driving is extremely stressful and car drivers can range from oblivious (i.e. not knowing that a truck's turning radius is very wide) to downright stupid (i.e. cutting a truck off then slamming on the brakes) when it comes to sharing the road with trucks. There are certainly bad truckers out there, and he shouldn't be tailgating anyone though (worse than a ticket, he could kill someone).

[newenglandgal123]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Wow, tough luck. I've been rear-ended twice. Once at a stop sign by a guy in a lifted Dodge (he did some real damage to the back of my SUV) who had the nerve to get out and start yelling at me. I just told him I'm calling the police and got back in my car (they cited him). The other was by a small school bus, also at a stop sign. They also cited him (he was required to get the police report). I felt bad about that one. It was at an on-ramp under construction and accidents happened all the time. I hope he didn't lose his job. I got at least 5 or 6 calls from lawyers trying to convince me to sue the bus company. I'm not sure how they even found out about it unless they're pulling police reports trolling for clients.



It's not an excuse for tailgating in the right lane, but he may not have passed you if it was in an area where trucks are prohibited from the left lane(s). The repercussions depend on a lot of factors. He'd probably be cited at the very least, but it could be worse if he's found to be under the influence, operating illegally (over allotted time on the clock, not keeping an up to date log, not taking the required breaks, driving a vehicle that's in violation of any regulations, expired license or certifications, etc.), repeat offenses, etc. Yes, they need a specific type of CDL and yes, they're aware of what their truck can do to cars around them. But truck driving is extremely stressful and car drivers can range from oblivious (i.e. not knowing that a truck's turning radius is very wide) to downright stupid (i.e. cutting a truck off then slamming on the brakes) when it comes to sharing the road with trucks. There are certainly bad truckers out there, and he shouldn't be tailgating anyone though (worse than a ticket, he could kill someone).

It was actually pretty scary how close he was getting, knowing how much weight he had behind him being an 18 wheeler and all. I also don't really understand why he was laying on the horn and flipping me off when he passed. It's not like I was in the left lane or going under the speed limit. I was actually going ~5mph over and minding my business. It was him that came barreling up behind me like a bat outta hell. When he did eventually pass I saw he ended up behind someone else tailgating and then dangerously switched to the right lane and cut that person off to be back in the left. Very dangerous maneuver given the size of his truck! I think all these truckers really need to have periodic mental health exams in addition to more frequent drug testing.