Truck Accidents: Could Your Vehicle Keep You Safe?
Recent media attention on the number of highway fatalities caused by semi-trucks has many people asking whether our roads are indeed ‘safe.’ A fully loaded truck, like the one that slammed into the back of another truck on California’s I-5 last month can do an intense amount of damage. In that particular accident, three people were killed and at least ten more injured when the truck entering the 550-foot underpass crashed into the truck in front, causing a massive pile-up and ultimately, an explosion.
This isn’t the first time the safety of sharing our roads with oversized semi-trailer trucks has been questioned. Trucking industry practices are continuously being reformed to address the number of fatalities these vehicles cause, including reducing the amount of time a truck driver is allowed to drive without a break, instituting new methods of driver payment that do not include “paid-by-the-mile” incentives, and adding more highway patrol officers designated to specifically crack down on truck drivers that don’t keep proper log books or break traffic laws. But is it enough?
In theory, the enhanced safety measures are beneficial, but the process has been slow and for many families, too slow. The year 2000 marked the inception of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an organization dedicated to reduce the number of fatality accidents caused by large trucks. By 2005, not much had improved. Estimated numbers of annual fatalities caused by large trucks is still over 5,200. In other words, 100 families in the U.S. lose a loved one due to a large truck fatality every week.
Categories: Car Tips Tags: Isuzu SUV, pickup truck, sports utility vehicles, SUV
Taking a Turn: What’s Your SUVs Radius?
We all know that parking an SUV can be a pain with the number of compact spaces popping up everywhere from school parking lots to high rise parking structures. For some, it’s the sole reason to avoid buying an SUV even though the additional passenger and cargo space is a plus. If you’ve been thinking about switching from a car to an SUV, but are afraid the limited parking opportunities will try your limited patience, here’s what you need to know:
First, a vehicles ability to maneuver easily in and out of tight parking spaces (as well as make U-turns) is determined by its turning radius. The turning radius of a vehicle is the smallest possible U-turn the vehicle is capable of making. The smaller, the easier it is to squeeze in and out of tight places.
Most people assume that a vehicle’s turning radius is directly correlated to the car’s length and width. Those dimensions are only a small part. Other factors, like the type of steering system, also play a part.
Categories: Car Tips Tags: Isuzu SUV, pickup truck, sports utility vehicles, SUV
Pickup Truck Safety: Statistics You Need to Know
According to the Ohio Department of Safety, there are more than 200 deaths each year in the U.S. associated with riding in the cargo area of pickup trucks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that pickup truck occupants are three times more likely to be involved in rollover crashes than in other types of vehicles. The largest number of vehicle fatalities and injuries are caused by rollover crashes.
Are pickups simply not as safe as cars and SUVs? It turns out that the fatality rates have little to do with a pickup’s design. They have more to do with the use of safety belts. While safety belt laws have consistently become more stringent in all 50 states over the past ten years, according to the NCSA, only 69% of occupants in pickups were wearing safety belts by June 2003, compared to 81% of passenger car occupants and 83% of SUV and van occupants. The Ohio Department of Public Safety reports that your chance of surviving a crash in a motor vehicle is 25 times higher if seatbelts are used.
Theories abound about the reason pickup truck occupants are less likely to practice seatbelt use, thus increasing their own risk. For many who are using their pickup trucks for work (hauling and farming), the drivers tend to drive short distances and get in and out of the vehicle often. Throughout the course of the day, putting the seatbelt on and taking it off could be considered cumbersome. Another theory is that some families, particularly living in rural areas, use their older model pickups as the vehicle used for family outings. Because many of these pickups do not have adequate room for all the passengers inside the cab, some of the passengers travel in the cargo area. While this is illegal in many states and restricted to speed conditions and age of the passengers in other states, it still happens.
Categories: Car Tips Tags: Isuzu SUV, pickup truck, sports utility vehicles, SUV
Pickup Trucks: How to Transport Cargo Safely
Most people who buy pickup trucks are interested in the ability to haul cargo easily. Many are farmers, construction workers, movers, or otherwise. But how many times have you been speeding down the highway or interstate only to come up on a pickup truck and realize that the driver has not properly secured the cargo he or she is carrying? Unsecured cargo has been the cause of many fatality and non-fatality accidents, and these accidents were completely preventable.
What is the best way to secure cargo in the bed of a pickup? Here are some tips.
Use a cargo net. For only $60, Isuzu sells a Bed Web Net made of a tough elastic material and designed to stretch. The mount hardware is included and installation is easy. The net keeps cargo from flying out or sliding out of the back even during hard stops or fast turns.
Categories: Car Tips Tags: Isuzu SUV, pickup truck, sports utility vehicles, SUV