Traveling safely

[GratefulCitizen]

The holiday traveling season is here.
Driving motor vehicles is among the most dangerous activities Americans do.

Here are some thoughts on how to mitigate risks, particularly with highway travel.
This might not be information that you specifically need, but you probably have a friend or family member who would benefit from knowing.

My background:
-Nearly 20 years driving for UPS, primarily highway driving.
-Mainly drove class 4 trucks on dangerous two-lane highways in all weather, lighting, and traffic conditions.
-Spent 3 years driving tractor trailers (usually double trailers), primarily on a dangerous mountain freeway, in all weather, lighting, and traffic conditions.

Here are 4 general areas of concern, in order of importance:
-Space and visibility
-Fatigue
-Road conditions
-Loading

Space and visibility

The best thing a driver can do to mitigate risk on the highway is to stay away from other vehicles.
There are limits to how much of this you can do depending on traffic, but it is by far the most important consideration.

Don’t become part of a “convoy”.
Look for gaps in traffic and adjust speed to fit in those gaps.

Don’t be a tailgater.
If someone is tailgating you, change lanes, slow down, or even pull over in order to let them pass you.

Give space to tractor trailers.
These vehicles don’t have fender-benders, even a minor collision with one will kill you, kill everyone in your vehicle, and possibly cause several other accidents.

Don’t hang out in the lane beside a big rig, ESPECIALLY on the passenger side, and don’t pass on the right.
They might not be able to see you, any sudden moves on your part or theirs would be very bad for you, and a blowout from a tire could seriously damage your vehicle or cause you to have an accident.

NEVER pull into the “space cushion” right in front of a big rig.
The nature of air brakes causes a delayed reaction time, and if your vehicle suddenly slows for any reason (like a blowout), you will almost certainly die in the accident.

If you see a big rig driving like an idiot, or more likely see cars driving like idiots around a big rig, give them plenty of space.
It’s not worth your life.

Fatigue

If fatigued, pull over and take a nap, even if it’s only for 5 minutes.
Better to be late than not arrive at all.

Road conditions

Space and visibility applies even more when traction is poor.
Slow down and stay away from other vehicles.

Know the stopping abilities of your vehicle FOR SURE by occasionally testing brakes when you have sufficient space behind you.
Four wheel drive doesn’t mean eight wheel stop.

In poor visibility where you have to slow to 15 mph or more below the speed limit, turn on your flashers.
In fog, check your speedometer frequently, your ability to sense speed is severely impaired.

If visibility degrades too much, exit the highway.
Don’t pull over to the side of the highway in poor visibility as a stopping option unless you have no other choice.

Loading

Know the load limits of your vehicle.
Make sure your tires are sufficiently inflated, especially the rear tires.

Do not put too much weight toward the rear of your vehicle if it’s not a pickup truck.
Having a center of gravity too far to the rear creates dynamic instability and is the cause of many wrecks, especially rollovers.

It’s safer to use a car top carrier than a bumper carrier.
Better to have the center of gravity too far forward than too far back.

Don’t carry dense objects like tire chains in the passenger compartment, but if you must (like in an SUV/crossover), make sure they’re secured to the cargo area.
In an accident, dense objects can severely injure or kill someone inside the vehicle.

For pickup trucks, sometimes weight in the back is a good idea to improve traction on slick roads, especially for a dually or a truck with wide tires.
Don’t put something unsecured in the back which might come crashing through your back window (if you don’t have a headache rack) in a sudden stop or accident.

Sand bags or bags of salt can be a good idea, as they’re multi-purpose.
If you have very stiff rear suspension, hitch weights made for farm tractors might be useful.


Discussing some of these things over a holiday dinner might save a life.
Take the time to shepherd your herd.

[adal]

Considering where you drive, all great reminders. Thanks. Hope all is well with you and yours.

[GratefulCitizen]

Originally Posted by adal

Considering where you drive, all great reminders. Thanks. Hope all is well with you and yours.

You’re well aware of the consequences in your line of work.

Hope all is well with you and yours as well.
Happy Thanksgiving, Adal.

[JimP]

Thanks GC!! Good gouge.

[JJ_BPK]

Thanks, by your leave, I will copy and distribute to friends..

[Golf1echo]

Appreciate that GC, timely advice. I think you have given me a clue regarding an issue I had experienced on two occasions while driving on ice. The information on weight being forward rather than in the rear is what I refer to, I’d saw this regarding a trailer but didn’t consider the vehicle itself, makes sense.

Trailer demo: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6mW_gzdh6to

[GratefulCitizen]

Originally Posted by Golf1echo

Appreciate that GC, timely advice. I think you have given me a clue regarding an issue I had experienced on two occasions while driving on ice. The information on weight being forward rather than in the rear is what I refer to, I’d saw this regarding a trailer but didn’t consider the vehicle itself, makes sense.

Trailer demo: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6mW_gzdh6to

Think of it like an arrow and an arrowhead.
The heavy end wants to be in front.

Most vehicles are nose heavy and all the tires are inflated to the same pressure.
This, combined with the particulars of the suspension, creates dynamic stability where the nose of the vehicle wants to stay forward.

Some vehicles (usually performance sedans and sports cars) have a 50/50 weight distribution and the rear tires are wider or are inflated to a higher pressure than the front.
This makes the cars more maneuverable, but still retains a degree of dynamic stability.

Tow/haul vehicles have long wheelbases, are very nose heavy without a load, have very stiff tires/stiff rear suspension, and sometimes have dual rear tires and/or multiple rear axles.
This keeps a reasonable degree of dynamic stability when the center of gravity is rearward.

Typical passenger vehicles don’t have very stiff tires and aren’t designed to carry heavy loads, especially towards the rear of the vehicle.
Even half-ton trucks have surprisingly light payload capacity.

When carrying additional load in a normal passenger car, it is very important that the rear tires be inflated to the maximum pressure listed on the tire.
This stiffens the rear tires and keeps the car more dynamically stable.

With 3/4 ton or heavier trucks, sometimes they actually handle better (and most certainly ride better) with some load.
This is because they are designed to be operated with a load.

[Golf1echo]

To elaborate and add to variables you mentioned.

I’m learning about weights of the vehicle and different matched suspensions needed. Also the factory rake ( angle/ balance ) of the vehicle and the importance of maintaining that regardless of any modifications. In the case of an 80 Series LC it drives well but it is heavy, has a single front axle, somewhat short wheel base and 5 or 6 driving modes which may contribute to the issue I mentioned. The issue is not the death wobble that some 4X4s can experience but I suspect new shocks and bushings Would mitigate those rare events. I learned to test shocks by shaking the vehicle and look to it’s response, with coils and shocks that test probably isn’t as relevant?
Edit: Your advice caught my attention, last year about this time I ended up traveling through one of the worst snow situations I’ve been in, 21 hour drive most of it blizzard. 100s of cars and trucks off the road, Jack knifed, spinning backwards. This was up on I 90.
Most cars that had plowed off the road didn’t appear to have cleared the snow away from the exhaust pipe and stopping to help would have blocked the one lane. National Guard And professional wreckers had begun to extract some. The trucks chaining up West of Bozman went on for miles.

[Old Dog New Trick]

I always liked filling my P/U bed full of snow (gotta shovel it somewhere.) Adds a couple hundreds pounds and melts away; usually after the ground snow is gone.

All good info GC!

Keep the gas tank at a minimum 1/4 to 1/2 full in the winter too, in case you get stuck in traffic or a bad road.

Water, blankets, energy snacks and a small stove stored somewhere too.

[GratefulCitizen]

Tire choice will make a huge difference on snow and ice.
All season tires and especially winter tires are made of a a softer compound which gets much better traction in colder temperatures (in addition to different tread patterns).

Older tires tend to fare worse on cold roads, even with good tread depth, because they’ve hardened.
Narrower tires always do much better on snow and ice.

[The Reaper]

Obviously, if you bring a stove and are stuck in your vehicle, please observe the safety warnings and cook/melt/heat OUTSIDE your car to avoid becoming a carbon monoxide victim.

I would be cautious in an unvented vehicle with open flame, even a can of Sterno or a candle.

Just my .02, YMMV.

TR

[Old Dog New Trick]

^^^I would hope no one chooses to light up a stove inside their vehicle for cooking or heat but if the Darwin runs deep, well… that’s on them.

[Badger52]

Many thanks sir.
First post's cautions into an emailable PDF, for those who want to mentor the herd.
I just had this discussion with 2 oldest grand-daughters who have fled the nest but commute back for hearth & kin. Winter driving up here is a thing; fortunately they are sharp kids and not too proud to take advice.

Serious appreciation of the importance you give to loading & the weight/balance of the vehicle.

p.s. Question I couldn't answer was related to why some semi- drivers going 1 mph faster than the guy in front will still jump into left lane to take 10 miles (seemingly hours to car drivers) to pass their OTR colleague. For me it goes back to not being part of a 'convoy' as you say & best tactic is not to play in that game of backed up cars. I suspect most folks can't visualize the actual turbulence that is going on with such a klusterflop.

[GratefulCitizen]

Originally Posted by Badger52

p.s. Question I couldn't answer was related to why some semi- drivers going 1 mph faster than the guy in front will still jump into left lane to take 10 miles (seemingly hours to car drivers) to pass their OTR colleague. For me it goes back to not being part of a 'convoy' as you say & best tactic is not to play in that game of backed up cars. I suspect most folks can't visualize the actual turbulence that is going on with such a klusterflop.

The slow passes are due to most tractors having a speed governor set somewhere between 65-72 mph (UPS tractors for hourly drivers were set at 68, mileage drivers at 72).
Most OTR drivers are paid by the mile (not UPS, we’re mostly hourly), and they’re just trying to get down the road.

Sometimes drivers will end up repeatedly passing each other on highways with frequent slight grade changes.
One rig will have a higher power to weight ratio (better hill speed) and the other will have a higher governor (better flat speed).

In practice, it’s a bad idea to run up against the governor, especially downhill.
The best way to stabilize a rig which is becoming unstable is to apply power, and you can’t do that when you’re up against the governor.

[Badger52]

Originally Posted by GratefulCitizen

The slow passes are due to most tractors having a speed governor set somewhere between 65-72 mph (UPS tractors for hourly drivers were set at 68, mileage drivers at 72).
Most OTR drivers are paid by the mile (not UPS, we’re mostly hourly), and they’re just trying to get down the road.

Sometimes drivers will end up repeatedly passing each other on highways with frequent slight grade changes.
One rig will have a higher power to weight ratio (better hill speed) and the other will have a higher governor (better flat speed).

In practice, it’s a bad idea to run up against the governor, especially downhill.
The best way to stabilize a rig which is becoming unstable is to apply power, and you can’t do that when you’re up against the governor.

Thanks. I figured some "governor junk" had something to do with it. (still frustrating, but I get it) The thing about power to stabilize makes sense to me although to some it probably seems counter-intuitive.

Anyway, you brown guys are still our heroes up in this neck of the woods and kick everyone else's ass. I did see in the neighborhood for the first time the other day a kid in brown uniform delivering out of a U-haul truck. Unusual because we still usually see 4-6 small trucks ("real" ones) doing their cross-swap thing in the hardware parking lot around 1730 or 1800. Ho-Ho-Ho.