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Quote: Originally posted by JuanHuNose on 08/4/2015In the considered (??) opinion of one poster on there the truck driver is to blame!
Really!!!
The camera doesn't lie. Trucker moving away from the lights and accelerating to near 30. Twat towing the van thinks he can nip up the extra lane (which merges), instead of pulling back in he goes for it!!
####in idiot!!!
------------- I came into this world with nothing and I've still got most of it left.
Its difficult to see what actually happened there. The truck moves off from the traffic lights but was car/caravan also stopped at lights behind red Audi? The speed at which the truck moves off suggests an empty or lightly laden truck & an empty 44tonner is suprisingly quick off the mark, up to about 25mph it will certainly suprise a Mondeo driver solo, let alone with a caravan.
I know, I was a truck driver & with an empty 480bhp Daf or similarly powered empty 44tonner its quite fun playing 'chicken' with a car or van that thinks it can get past you at the lights & in before the road goes back into one lane. Somebody has got to back off or you end up with an accident.
The accident need never have happened if one of them had backed off. The caravanner got himself into a situation that went beyond the point of no return but this would not have happened if the truck driver had slowed down earlier & let the caravanner pass. If the cops deem the accident serious enough to want to analyse the truck tacho card then don't assume blame all lies in the obvious direction.
If you watch the video the truck is accelerating away at all times. He must have seen the car/caravan approaching if he was checking his mirror which he should have been as a matter of course & yet the truck makes no attempt to slow down. He assumes the caravan driver will back off & he makes the wrong assumption.
The truck driver is supposed to be the proffessional even if the caravanner is a rank amateur.
The camera never lies, but then again the dash cam only films one view so we can't speculate.
Interestingly, this is from the lorry drivers Facebook page:
"Ok just to set the record straight as I can't sleep. When I was stopped at the lights there was one car by the side of me the red one. There was a box van behind me that had been there from the time just after I came off the M5. We pulled off from the lights. I only have 6 tons on so was short shifting 480 horse truck gross weight no more than 22 to will get to 30 quite quick. As I was going through the gears the red car passed me I looked in the mirror and saw the box van was not trying to pass I did see a car and caravan but this was behind and to the right of the box van and looked like he was going to pull in behind the box van less than 8 - 10 seconds later glanced in the mirror as something caught my attention. This is when I hit the horn and the brakes as hard as I could. Stopped lorry in around 20 yards and got up on the curb as much as I dare as anyone who knows where this happened will tell you there are large concrete blocks just off the path where I stopped. I was not trying to block him out as estimates suggest he came through the lights at about 50 mph. Hope this makes sense as not had much sleep since. Oh and I am not a newbie. Had a class 1 for 24 years. Cheers."
I think the OP is right - looks like the car driver simply forgot he was towing and pulled in front of the truck, which is why you see the whole of the car in the video before the impact. If he hadn't had a caravan attached, he would have made it. :)
Sounds impossible to do but I heard of a friend of a friend who did exactly the same thing - brand new caravan (and their first one) and pulled in too early in front of a lorry on the motorway. :o
------------- 'In later life, you will be more disappointed with the things you didn't do than with the things you did.' - Mark Twain
But surely, Billy, if one "has to back off", it is either A/ The caravan, as it is further back than the lorry, when the danger/risk first becomes apparent or B/ The caravan, as it is his lane that merges to the left, not the lorries lane merging to the right?
Assuming all are keeping within the speed limits (assuming for the sake of this "argument", of course... we don't have the facts), surely the lorry has right of way, simply by being ahead of the caravan?
Whether the pulling power of the lorry surprised the car driver or not, the onus is on him (surely?) to make his manoeuvre in a safe manner... or back off himself?
From what is on show in that video, for the lorry to "back off" enough to allow both car and 'van to pass safely (taking the central refuge into account), surely it would have actually had to stop... and quite possibly in an abrupt manner!!
I'm no professional driver, and am happy to bow to your far greater knowledge and experience, but at this stage, I'd also be happy to put my name to the phrase "That car and 'van driver acted like a complete Knob-head and is wholly to blame"!
Just a case of the overtaking driver's view of how soon the road merges is blocked by side of lorry. Driver has missed or didn't realise urgency of arrows on road.
Needless to say caravan driver should have been sitting behind lorry and not thinking he was solo.
------------- Ollie
2016
Monplaisir - Provence
Camping Les Gorges du Loup
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Think he forgot he was towing his `van!!
