Long Beach Tanker Truck Accident
Posted by
IB ContributorFebruary 19, 2007 7:35 PMJackknifed truck closes 710 freeway.
The Long Beach 710 freeway is notorious for truck accidents, but if you were in the northbound lanes of the 710 the morning hours of February 17th, you already know about this accident.
A gas tanker truck jackknifed and collided with the center divider and was then hit by a Jeep. The accident closed the freeway for over six hours . While no official cause has been reported, the tanker truck driver said he was forced to make a lane change to avoid another driver who pulled in front of him. This, according to the California Highway Patrol as reported by the Long Beach Press Telegram.
Although only one person was injured in this collision, historically collisions involving big rigs and passenger vehicles experience a high rate of fatalities. The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration indicate that speeds in excess of 55, poor weather and curved roads significantly increase the odds of a jackknife when a big rig is involved. Demands on big rig drivers to meet rigid schedules and fatigue are also cited as contributing factors int trucking accidents on our highways. Drugs have also been cited as a contributing to the danger of sharing the road with big rigs on our highways. Last summer, in Oceanside, a 33-year old truck driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs when he drifted off the road, collided with a steel guardrail and burst into flames.
It is a foregone conclusion that for now passenger vehicles and big rigs will have to share the highways and Washington State has even gone so far as to spend big bucks on a campaign to educate drivers as to how and when to pass a big rig, even giving out citations to those drivers who violate the safety rules. I might benefit from such a course.