Any seasoned tractor-trailer driver will tell you how long it takes to perform a panic stop.
The air brakes need a half-second to engage, Ron Hotis explained Thursday morning at T.J. Marquart & Sons Trucking. Then you’re left with 40 tons of inertia as the big rig comes barreling to a halt. And that’s not considering if it’s hauling a liquid load such as milk or manure.
“The law says he’s supposed to stop in 280 feet, but that’s optimum,” he said. “Three hundred twenty feet is a better figure.”
Hotis was talking with teenagers from Letchworth Central School’s summer driver education program. The annual effort makes young drivers aware of the hazards involved when driving near the larger vehicles.
The session took place outside, using a tractor-trailer T.J. Marquart & Sons supplied for the morning. Hotis spoke matter-of-factly with each group of drivers.
Each student was asked to sit in the big rig’s cab, so they could experience the “blind spots” a trucker encounters.
Hotis walked backward from the truck at one point, encouraging a student to pull the air horn when he finally became visible — and wound up about 100 feet behind the trailer. He said that’s how hard it can be for truckers to see motorcyclists.
The talk likewise covered Murphy’s Law, and why it’s best to stay cautious near the big trucks. If an 18-wheeler has a blow-out next to a sedan, the result can be a wrecked windshield or worse.
“Pay attention to what’s around you,” Hotis said. “Be aware of your surroundings.”
One of the morning presentations was attended juniors Holley Perkins, Rachel Meyer, and Claudia Grossman. They recommended the program.
“It’s a different view,” Meyer said.
“It’s a look inside at what the driver’s dealing with,” Grossman added. “Like, we may get mad at them, but they’re trying their best.”
“I already had a good idea that there were blind spots, but I didn’t know how big they were,” Meyer said.
It’s part of why the program’s been offered by Hotis – a NAPA representative – and driver education Jim Korn, in conjunction with the trucking company. The idea has generated interest from officials as far away as Oklahoma, seeking to start similar programs for their teenage drivers.
“It works,” Hotis said. “These are people with families, that I know, and we deal with everyday. As I said earlier, if one kid stays safe because of something that’s been done here, it’s worth it.”
The air brakes need a half-second to engage, Ron Hotis explained Thursday morning at T.J. Marquart & Sons Trucking. Then you’re left with 40 tons of inertia as the big rig comes barreling to a halt. And that’s not considering if it’s hauling a liquid load such as milk or manure.
“The law says he’s supposed to stop in 280 feet, but that’s optimum,” he said. “Three hundred twenty feet is a better figure.”
Hotis was talking with teenagers from Letchworth Central School’s summer driver education program. The annual effort makes young drivers aware of the hazards involved when driving near the larger vehicles.
The session took place outside, using a tractor-trailer T.J. Marquart & Sons supplied for the morning. Hotis spoke matter-of-factly with each group of drivers.
Each student was asked to sit in the big rig’s cab, so they could experience the “blind spots” a trucker encounters.
Hotis walked backward from the truck at one point, encouraging a student to pull the air horn when he finally became visible — and wound up about 100 feet behind the trailer. He said that’s how hard it can be for truckers to see motorcyclists.
The talk likewise covered Murphy’s Law, and why it’s best to stay cautious near the big trucks. If an 18-wheeler has a blow-out next to a sedan, the result can be a wrecked windshield or worse.
“Pay attention to what’s around you,” Hotis said. “Be aware of your surroundings.”
One of the morning presentations was attended juniors Holley Perkins, Rachel Meyer, and Claudia Grossman. They recommended the program.
“It’s a different view,” Meyer said.
“It’s a look inside at what the driver’s dealing with,” Grossman added. “Like, we may get mad at them, but they’re trying their best.”
“I already had a good idea that there were blind spots, but I didn’t know how big they were,” Meyer said.
It’s part of why the program’s been offered by Hotis – a NAPA representative – and driver education Jim Korn, in conjunction with the trucking company. The idea has generated interest from officials as far away as Oklahoma, seeking to start similar programs for their teenage drivers.
“It works,” Hotis said. “These are people with families, that I know, and we deal with everyday. As I said earlier, if one kid stays safe because of something that’s been done here, it’s worth it.”
No comments:
Post a Comment