Off the chart irresponsibility!

During this past week a crash occurred involving three large trucks on the A-7 near the exit junction to Valencia city. I admit that I do not have the details of what happened and how it happened, so I have to be careful in jumping to conclusions. What I can say is that daily we see trucks driving in convoy, nose-to-tail, and in doing so they create a wall that prohibits other traffic from exiting, and it contravenes the law on keeping a safe distance from the vehicle travelling in front.

In recent memory there occurred a crash involving three large trucks in the same general area, but travelling in the opposite direction. At that time the truck in the lead applied brakes suddenly and the one behind ran into him and that was followed by the third running into the second. That took many hours to clear up. I suspect that this crash was probably a result of the same thing.

Truckers drive like this to save fuel. I have seen as many as seven trucks in such a convoy. They are driving in each others slipstream with the truck ahead effectively sucking along the one behind. They take turns in being the leader. When a crash occurs it is usually such a horrendous and disruptive event that the impact is spread over such a wide area that involves so many people's lives and routines it may be almost impossible to accurately measure.

This latest mess occurred at about 7am which resulted in traffic gridlock impacting several different routes. Children were late for school, teachers were late, employees were late in starting their days, banks were late in opening, cars ran out of fuel while running their engines hoping to move forward a centimetre at a time, and of course that made matters worse. People were late for trains and planes, and in general life came to a stop because of the three drivers who were involved.

Was this as a result of the usual stupidity and irresponsibility? If so what should be done to impress upon the trucking fraternity the seriousness of their actions?

I lump this type of irresponsibility along with those drivers who drive at high speed in dangerous weather when speed should be seriously restricted in the interests on safety, such as stormy, snowy, thick fog, icy conditions, etc. Drivers should slow down but many do not as they head into causing massive inconvenience to untold thousands.

To begin with if they cannot be responsible they have no business holding a driver's permit. It is a permit, not a right. Take it away from them! When we see trucks in convoy it should be made easy to report them in the knowledge that the police will be immediately dispatched to stop the convoy.

Let's get serious about this entirely avoidable problem and eradicate it once and for all!

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael