Preventable or not?
November 2008 Commercial Carrier Journal 43 Breakfast at Myrtle's Café in Fort Smith, Ark., had been espe-cially amusing, thanks to tank trucker Billy Joe Legsweak, who, with a perfectly straight face, had tried to convince everyone that his load of Mrs. Miller's Moovelous Milk was hazardous material! Legsweak was always good for a tall tale or two, John Doe mused as he negotiated the Boston Mountains with a trailer full of produce and a giant bag of Spicy Ranch Doritos riding shotgun. It was a sunny and brisk fall morning, but still a fine day for driving, Doe thought to himself. Approaching the Harrison Highway turnoff, Doe slowed to a crawl, actu-ated his right-turn signal, checked his mirrors, moved to the extreme right of the roadway to discourage a squeeze play and cautiously began to execute the sharp right turn. Out of nowhere, a blue Chevy pickup truck driven by teen-ager Luke Leadfoot Finch materialized to Doe's right, halfway off the road and moving fast. So Doe hit the brakes hard! Finch, suddenly realizing he couldn't squeak past the 18-wheeler, also attempted to stop, but found himself in an uncontrol-lable slide. WHAMMO! SQUEEERUNCH! The pickup had torn Doe's front bumper clean off! Doe's safety director charged him with a prevent-able accident, which he contested. Asked to settle the dispute, the National Safety Council's Accident Review Committee quickly voted in Doe's favor, concluding that there had been no way for him to avoid Finch's moronic move. John Doe, making a sharp right turn, was hit by a pickup truck whose driver had attempted to pass on the right side but was unable to make it past Doe's rig without hitting its front bum-per. Was this a preventable accident? safety Preventable or not: Doe meets an Ozark Mountain daredevil The easiest, most convenient way to stay current on transport safety news and best practices is here! J. J. Keller's TM newsletter delivers quick-read articles on topics you need to know about, including: Hours of Service, recruiting, driver qualification, and safety fitness ratings. With your to its , you'll also enjoy these features: personal assistance from our experts insightful comments on the articles case studies, cartoons, worksheets and quizzes e-mail articles to your coworkers 12 months' worth of past articles Request your FREE 3-Month trial today! Since 1953 3003 W. Breezewood Lane, P.O. Box 368 Neenah, WI 54957-0368 News you need for safe, smooth transport operations 800-531-8899 jjkeller.com/23361 Call Visit AQ-410-N C1 Action Code 23361 JJKeller_CCJ1108_PG.indd 1 10/13/08 4:34:20 PM Write on Reader Service Card