Driving ammo-laden 18-wheeler on I-45 while distracted not a good idea | DENENA | POINTS
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Driving ammo-laden 18-wheeler on I-45 while distracted not a good idea

Clear Lake truck crash lawyers think maybe it’s a good idea if you’re driving an 18-wheeler containing live ammunition to pay attention as you drive. Just an idea.

It seems like every week brings more and more concerned discussion about distracted driving. Studies show that just about everyone is doing it, and that the bulk of the distracted drivers strongly disapprove when others do it. But they keep driving distracted themselves. OK, so that’s not atypical of any problem.

The 18-wheeler in question would’ve jack-knifed on I-45 due to the driver’s negligent actions with or without the ammo in its cargo. But the truck crash might not have erupted into a major blaze that shut down all lanes of a major highway for several hours and incidentally destroyed any number of UPS customers’ parcels. And without the ammo, a bullet wouldn’t have ignited and fired itself into a rescue vehicle at the scene.

It’s fortunate that more of the ammo didn’t start firing in all directions and injuring the rescue workers themselves. Fear of just such a possibility may be what kept all I-45 lanes shut down for so long. As a driver who uses that freeway from time to time, I’m grateful for their wise precaution. I admire the fire and rescue personnel that brave these scenes of fiery wreckage to protect the rest of us. They take some serious chances.

Call me a Nervous Nellie. But if I were driving a massive, heavy 18-wheeler laden with cargo (including live ammunition) at night, I would not duck down into the well of the truck to retrieve something on the floor while my 18-wheeler continued full speed ahead on the highway without any real supervision. Maybe it’s because I’d worry that the truck might veer off course while I was busy down near the floor, and then I’d lose control of the rig and possibly end up jack-knifing or overturning. Coincidentally, that’s precisely what happened.

Even without a load of live ammo and a major blaze, 18-wheeler wrecks can take a heavy toll in lives, health, and peace of mind. Even car and pickup trucks can be deadly when a distracted driver is behind the wheel. Or down near the vehicle floor, as the case may be.

Consider the high cost of this one 18-wheeler driver’s distraction:

  • A destroyed UPS truck;
  • A rescue vehicle damaged by a bullet;
  • The value of the destroyed UPS parcels;
  • The cost of the truck driver’s injuries;
  • The costs to UPS of trying to identify the damaged parcels and respond to customer concerns; and
  • The costs of the manpower to respond to the scene, control, the fire, close the highway, clean up the wreckage, and repair the road damaged by the blaze, among other things.

Don’t drive distracted. Just don’t take the chance – with your life or with others. If you need to retrieve something from the floor, wait until you’re at a stoplight or you pull off the road for a rest break.

And if you’re injured by a negligent or distracted 18-wheeler driver and you’re wondering what you can do to meet your medical expenses and vehicle repair costs, take a look at our Clear Lake truck crash lawyers’ helpful e-book on what you need to do to make a valid truck wreck compensation claim. The book is free. Just click on our website, and download your free book.