Preventable or Not?
April 2009 Commercial Carrier Journal 51 John Doe kept hitting the tuner on his satellite radio in his straight truck, but everywhere the dial settled, all he heard was another talk show, and all they were talking about was the recession. Doe had just about had it with the seem-ingly 24/7 recession chatter whether it was his radio, his CB buddies or any TV at any diner where he stopped for a bite and a break, it was recession this, recession that. Sure, Doe wanted the economy to turn around just like everyone else, but he also enjoyed a good song or a little sports chatter, and both were hard to find at 10 a.m. on a clear April morning as he headed westbound on a three-lane one-way road in Chicago. Since the highway department was repairing portions of the right lanes, Doe hugged the left lane and proceeded with caution at a slow speed, according to his statement. A moment before the accident, the driver of a 2008 yellow Dodge Charger in the far right lane saw the construction ahead and suddenly accelerated into the outside lane, attempting to squeak past Doe's slow-moving truck. Recently involved in a previous crash, the Charger's driver 17-year-old hotshot Johnny Ziponby was wearing a neck brace and unable to turn his head to check clearances. Consequently, Ziponby sideswiped the right front bumper of Doe's truck and further damaged the already-dented rear of his hot rod. In contrast, the only damage to Doe's truck was chipped paint on the right front fender. Doe told his safety director that anticipating the other driver's split-second and irrational maneuver in time to avoid a collision was impossible. The Accident Review Committee of the National Safety Council disagreed, noting that Doe should have sized up the situation and expected that Ziponby either might stop or veer into his lane. That is, Doe should have been prepared to yield. John Doe hugged the left lane of a three-lane one-way road because of construction, but he was sideswiped by a sports car that attempted to squeak past his slow-moving straight truck. Was this a preventable accident? Preventable or not: Doe too slow for sports car's taste safety CVSA's Roadcheck 2009 (June 2-4) is almost here ... is the time to get prepared. It's easy with J. J. Keller's online Roadcheck Resource Center . This site provides the latest news and resources to help you get your drivers and trucks inspection-ready, including: North American Standard Critical Item Inspection Procedure 2008 Roadcheck stats Links to related compliance products. A record 67,931 inspections were conducted during last year's . Don't get caught unprepared this year. Visit J. J. Keller's today at AC 25612 3003 W. Breezewood Lane, Neenah, WI 54957 800-327-6868 Prepare now or you could pay later! Prepare now or you could pay later! jjkeller.com/25612 jjkeller.com/25612 25612:Layout 1 3/6/09 9:36 AM Page 1 Write on Reader Service Card