Class A Tire Blow and Roll-over

[lakebum]

I am sure this is old and has been posted before but made me wonder....

How much did the driver's actions play into the final outcome?

Link to YouTube video

[barmcd]

427435 wrote:
The short of it is that he was going too fast for his skill level and didn't counter steer correctly and quickly enough.

I blew a LF tire a couple of years ago doing 65. Kept it in my lane (barely) and brought it to a safe stop on the side of the interstate.

I'm glad to know it can be done.

[rockhillmanor]

Kayteg1 wrote:
It keeps amazing me how "old farts" will keep on selling their agendas regardless posted facts. ...

Other than that being a derogatory comment not needed on this forum. :R

You have NO idea how old a forum member is. Nor would it make any difference.

[lakebum]

I wonder what a slower speed in this instance would have had on the final outcome? I wonder if 10 mph less, 20 mph less would have even made a difference?

For me, and not so much for safety, I drive about 5 -1 0 mph less than the posted limited on the interstate when on the Coach. I like to set my cruise control and just drive. At those speeds I typically do not run up on any traffic and everyone passes me. I get better fuel milage and just not in a hurry....

[gemert]

rgatijnet1 wrote:
In Florida they used to have a catch all violation that they used with some accidents. It was "driving too fast for conditions". They would use this violation even if you weren't exceeding the speed limit but the current conditions made whatever speed you were traveling unsafe. To them it was obviously unsafe because you had an accident. Maybe they were right and that would be difficult to argue in court. In any case, it would apply to this situation since the coach was going too fast to be controlled in case of a tire failure.

A tire failure was not one of the issues normally considered when citing someone for "too fast for conditions." The conditions normally considered were traffic, weather such as rain, wind, snow. Also construction areas, curves in the roadway and other things that a driver can see and vary his/her speed to drive prudently. Something unanticipated like a blown tire, rear axle falling off or other things of this nature. So in this case that charge would not be written by cop that knows what he/she was doing.

[Cloud_Dancer]

What can we, as participants in RV Forums, do to convince the highway safety engineers that they should insist on more expensive, safer center-medium barriers?
What can we, as participants in RV Forums, do to convince the drivers of big motorhomes that in event of a blown front tire, or running over debris, the first step to take is extremely important (the most important)?
And, which one do we have a better chance of accomplishing, on these forums?

[ferndaleflyer]

Sister in law hit one of those metal guard rails several years ago with a car and the rail went straight into the front of the car all the way into the trunk. It went through the front and back passenger side seats and a baby seat (empty at the time)in the back seat......I don't like either kind

[msmith1199]

SoCalDesertRider wrote:
It seems to me that cable barriers should be abondoned, in favor of traditional wood posts and large metal channels. I know the cable barriers are far cheaper in materials and far far cheaper in installation cost as well. Sometimes the safety of the people should be more important than the cost of construction...

A couple of weeks ago a bus in Central California hit a large metal freeway sign post that cut into the bus and went all the way back and only stopped when it hit the first rear axle. That sign had been protected by a metal guardrail with the wood posts. Doesn't even looked like they slowed the bus down as it went through them.

[msmith1199]

Kayteg1 wrote:
It keeps amazing me how "old farts" will keep on selling their agendas regardless posted facts.
When I remember first dispute where most of us review the video frame by frame - we could not be sure if that was in fact the cable that cost the coach to flip over.
Now on the beginning of this topic we do have link to copy of State Police video/picture report that leaves not much margin for confusion.
So for those who are still playing the "too fast, tires too old" card >>>> what part of Police report saying
"flipped over after smashing against the cable barriers" you can't understand?

I don't see anybody on here saying anything different. One person said he thought the coach may have flipped because the driver tried to steer away, but pretty much everybody else agrees the cable flipped the motorhome. So who are you talking to?

[SoCalDesertRid1]

It seems to me that cable barriers should be abondoned, in favor of traditional wood posts and large metal channels. I know the cable barriers are far cheaper in materials and far far cheaper in installation cost as well. Sometimes the safety of the people should be more important than the cost of construction...

[gemert]

Executive wrote:

gemert wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:
I still think it's a case of driving too fast. And over reacting.

He was in left lane passing and going too fast. Had he been driving the speed limit a coach towing should have been in the right lane, it wouldn't have flipped over when he tried to go around around what ever was laying in the road.

Over reacted at high speeds. Just saying. We will never know what really happened from just the video though.

And how can you tell he was speeding or going too fast! You would have to know how fast the truck was going and that wasn't given. I have been certified as a police speed radar Operator in Florida since 1989. Part of that is being able to estimate speed of moving traffic within 3 MPH. From the cab of a truck though it is unlikely that anyone can accurately estimate either vehicles speed without knowing at least one of them. Give the driver a break! I usually drive at 62 regardless of the speed limit (you know what I mean) and I even pass a truck every now and then.

IIRC the trucker stated he was traveling over 65mph when the moho passed him. One could measure the white stripes, count the number of stripes he passed and mathematically determine his speed using a stop watch. He was going too fast while towing. Also if you watch the video, you'll see an alligator fly up just as he leaves the highway....Dennis

I did not intend to get so confrontational. I did not have the benefit of the trucker's statement. I am not a mathematician and did not think of counting stripes especially since I don't know the State, the standards used to paint the stripes or if the machine that paints the stripes had been calibrated to a standard that would allow making those types of calculations. So if I offended anyone by trying to give the driver of the MH the benefit of the doubt...oh well! Have a great day!

[Executive45]

gemert wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:
I still think it's a case of driving too fast. And over reacting.

He was in left lane passing and going too fast. Had he been driving the speed limit a coach towing should have been in the right lane, it wouldn't have flipped over when he tried to go around around what ever was laying in the road.

Over reacted at high speeds. Just saying. We will never know what really happened from just the video though.

And how can you tell he was speeding or going too fast! You would have to know how fast the truck was going and that wasn't given. I have been certified as a police speed radar Operator in Florida since 1989. Part of that is being able to estimate speed of moving traffic within 3 MPH. From the cab of a truck though it is unlikely that anyone can accurately estimate either vehicles speed without knowing at least one of them. Give the driver a break! I usually drive at 62 regardless of the speed limit (you know what I mean) and I even pass a truck every now and then.

IIRC the trucker stated he was traveling over 65mph when the moho passed him. One could measure the white stripes, count the number of stripes he passed and mathematically determine his speed using a stop watch. He was going too fast while towing. Also if you watch the video, you'll see an alligator fly up just as he leaves the highway....Dennis

[Kayteg1]

It keeps amazing me how "old farts" will keep on selling their agendas regardless posted facts.
When I remember first dispute where most of us review the video frame by frame - we could not be sure if that was in fact the cable that cost the coach to flip over.
Now on the beginning of this topic we do have link to copy of State Police video/picture report that leaves not much margin for confusion.
So for those who are still playing the "too fast, tires too old" card >>>> what part of Police report saying
"flipped over after smashing against the cable barriers" you can't understand?

[427435]

All the discussion about whether he was exceeding the posted speed limit is nonsense. He was exceeding the speed limit for his skill set.

[Mile_High]

I was thinking about this video coming down through Oregon on some stretches of Highway 20. Not only is there absolutely no shoulder, the road is elevated about 5'. There would not be much room for error, and no sliding in the grass like the guy in the video. It would just plain hurt!

In fact, there isn't even any room to pull over. If I broke down, it would occupy most of the lane.

[Cloud_Dancer]

Instincts! Don't you instinctively/instantly grip the wheel firmly and turn it opposite the direction of the yaw? Yes, I am judgemental. I ask, what the heck was he thinking? I know from road racing experience that once you get on the grass, at high speed, your goose is cooked due to the fact that you will not have sufficient traction to gain control of your vehicle. For me, rule one is do NOT leave the pavement!