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22 economist suntribune wheels thursday july 25 2002 simimeris no vacation for bigboybernie by catrina coghill wheelbase communications why people blindly put their lives in the hands of others is beyond me they get angry because they cant pass a highway transport truck so they try it anyway at the worst possible times they get angry because a big rig is driving too slowly so they tailgate and when they do get in a position to pass they just sit there in the truckers blind spot like they own the whole road whether they know it or not there only one turn of the wheel away from a situation that could spell disaster and when youre dead does it really matter who was to blame an ounce of prevention is worth a pound or tens of thousands in this case of cure so since schools out and the highways are lit tered with griswblds on vacation i thought it was time for a refresher course oh the dos and donts of shar ing the road with a big rig bernie big bo markowski dont let the handle fool you catrina coghill hes all skin and bones thanks to a diet rich in pepsi and mintflavored toothpicks let me tag along for what he prom ised would be a hair raiser of a ride i take a chance every time i get in says the 34yearold driver removing his baseball cap and scratching his head with fingernails chewed down to the skin ive been lucky so far knock on wood but every time i take a job in the back of my mind i think it could be my last hes not being dramatic p according to the john deere insurance group the top three types of accidents involv ing heavy trucks are crashes caused by the trucks inability to stop in time crashes caused by another vehicle trying to pass a truck on the right while the truck is making a righthand turn and crashes caused by a driver riding in the truckers blind spots use the following rule of thumb if you cannot see the truck driver in his mirrors he probably cannot see you with those reassuring stats in mind i climbed into biggies truck for a short leg to see the view through a truckers eyes two hours into our haul more than a dozen vehicles cut ready for summer how about your car ee- m mis us off four tailgated and a van load of young men hung in the left lane coaxing markowski to blast the horn nice try fellas but this guy doesnt touch his horn for just anyone trust rriej i tried this is nothing t have had more close calls than i can count sohow do we prevent those close encounters of the hair- raising kind big boy markowski has some suggestions 1 refrain from riding in a truckers blind spots specifically on the right and rear of the truck if we cant see you we cant avoid you 2 dont catch up with the truck just to loiter next to it in the passing lane if youre planning to pass do so quickly and safely 3 be patient when a tractor- trailer is trying to back up from the drivers seat directing a trail er into a tight spot is something akin to threading an elephant through and outhouse door it takes a lot of concentra tion and patience to back one of these babies in its not easy and sometimes it takes more than one go to get her in 4 if you see the turn signal blinking on a big rig allow the trucker to turn or change lanes flash your lights to let the driver know that youre going to give himher space get in our way and well flatten you 5 dont cut off a truck more often than not markowski says drivers veer back into the lane with little or no wiggle room between them and tons of speeding cargo youre playing with your life cutting one of us off he says a buddy of mine killed two people like that just crushed the car like this can of pepsi he just couldnt stop he doesnt drive anymore some days it makes markowski wonder why he still does catrina coghill is a journalist with wheelbase communications a worldwide supplier of automotive news features and reviews you can email her at catwheelbasecomcom wflnnip looiiivfr tttttw0m5ta8th de dlrttf 4 to 1 h automobile cnlhuilajt who lovci tlw tha effxuilcj the top three types of accidents involving heavy trucks are ir crashes caused by the trucks inability to stop in time crashes caused by another vehicle trying to pass a truck on the right while the j truck is making a righthand turn w n t i and crashes caused by a driver riding in the truckers blind spots 44 jflp w 0 0 s f a k limited time on plus tax participating gm dealerships may set individual prices lof includes up to 51 ol gm premium motor oil offer valid on most gm vehicles offer available to retail customers only see service advisor lor offer conditions and more details or call 1800gm drive s is a registered trademark of acoelco an official trademark ol the province of ontario used with permission 4