DumpingSh1tandBeingKind2
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Aug 15, 2023 10:49 AM
DumpingSh1tandBeingKind2
110440
1325
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Shilzy
So basically, everywhere is a truck's blind spot. Got it!
SergeantTerryJeffords
My rule of thumb when merging in front of a semi is that I don't move over until I can see the entire truck in my rear view mirror. It's usually about 100-150 feet.
purelypenguin
My driving instructor gave us a "rule of thumb" to use and I share it when appropriate: if you're merging front of someone, make sure you can see the entire front profile of the vehicle in your rear view mirror first. Bigger rigs will require more distance to see all of it in that interior mirror on the windshield. Roadway manners are wildly underappreciated. It's not a war on the roads, we should all be mindful and cooperative so we all reach our destinations.
TrueNorthernLights
My father used to drive school buses, and dump trucks carrying a full load of fill, and the number of people who not only would pull out in front of him, but would do it cutting it close, was staggering.
MrWobblyHead
#2 If you cannot see the wing mirrors of the semi truck, it's safe to assume that the driver cannot see you and your vehicle.
richtus
About the only things that could seriously hurt a truck and its driver is another truck or a train. Just about anything else will get shoved aside or squished.
ravenousj
When turning right on at intersection, don't drive to right side of truck. Truck makes wide turns. Coworker almost got smashed yesterday.
GinaStarTats
When I was working at the trucking company, one of our drivers was about to turn in to the plant, was giving a signal to turn in and the security guard was watching him. A guy with a passenger in a van cut him off on the right side and tried to pass him. Needless to say, his truck won. We used Lytx drivecams to monitor our trucks. When the other driver saw that, he admitted he was at fault for trying to pass on the right side. The passenger attempted to sue. We won.
PrfctDrk
There's multiple side mirrors now on most Semi trucks so that metric might've changed a little, but its still dangerous
Odincdaj522004
"If you can't see me, I can't see you." My dad was a trucker for 34 years. I know that's not the only metric to use, particularly for the blind spots just under the driver and immediately in front of the truck, and the driver might not be looking where you are at any given time, but the important lesson is to pay attention and give somebody many times bigger than you with lots and lots of momentum on their side lots and lots of room.
thebabadookdoot5772
Sadly, the average person doesn't understand the physics of 40+ tons moving at 65mph+ I drive doubles and triples constantly at night. My nightly chant is usually. "Figure it out or get away from me."
anotherIngloriousHandle
always assume other drivers are idiots and big truck drivers are the biggest idiots ever
RPCharImages
That 20ft blind spot infront is why lorries in most of Europe have a flat front with the cab over the engine. It also helps with weight centering I think, and makes a shorter distance from engine to drive shaft to wheels
AnAverageBoxEnthusiast
DingoWoof
2 killed, no survivors.
DorkJedi
the blind spots are something the driver chooses to have, though. Nose mirrors eliminate them almost entirely, but many supertruckers think they ruin the look and take them off.
Northwindlowlander
I helped out at a public information thing at my university, where we got a truck on campus and the kids could climb in and see just how bad the sightlines are, and why as a cyclist especially you've got to be so careful. And the main lesson basically seemed to be "these are so much more dangerous than you'd expect from anything that is legally allowed on the road". It's got to be that way, though, it could be better... But people quite reasonably assume that other traffic isn't as deadly.
Northwindlowlander
(at the time, we had a load of building works going on and the 8-wheel tippers were constant. When they were inside the work site, they had a 5mph limit, restrictions on where they could go, they had to have a codriver/observer, all the other workers were trained to avoid them and had hi-viz on, and if anyone got hurt there'd be hell to pay. They were basically treated like the hazard they were. Second they got off the work site and onto the public road surrounded by teenagers? Yee fuckin haw
SrPootStank
#1 Facebook marketplace: 2015 Chevy z71, 50k miles, was in wreck and needs work but overall solid truck. $12k firm
TheSupremeCrabMaster
If you can't see their mirrors, they can't see you.
H0vencl00f
Semis take longer to stop than passenger cars and light trucks. If you are both going downhill, do not get in front of the semi.
onlyheretoargue
#1 - I don't care what kind of pickup truck it is. I want to know about the front brakes on that Chevy.
Ghlargh
This is the result of using another semi as front brakes.
Natastrophe01
You would think that a few cameras placed on the outside of the truck would fix a lot of those blind spots.
sentiencepsn
Honestly need to have that diagram printed on the back of every truck.
Excludos
Not a truck driver, but are those blind zones in the second image correct? I was under the impression that they had several mirrors exactly for the purpose of covering blind zones. It would be ridiculous if a lorry had no way of seeing cars that are in the lanes right next to it. It would never able able to make a lane change safely
compu85
They're a bit exaggerated. If you can't see the driver's mirrors, they can't see you.
GOATl3OY
Former truck driver here. Some trucks come equipped with extra mirrors and a window in the door near the feet to help eliminate some blind spots but not all. Some trucks can have none of those too. Always assume the latter. Also, I was trained to check my mirrors every few seconds which helps know when someone has moved into a blindspot but it won't help if someone entered from a third lane
Metalbawkses
Trucker here with a PSA. If you are in front of me, I will not stop as fast as you hope I do. If you are behind me, I'm gonna stop WAAAAAY faster than you ever thought possible. If you are beside me, don't do that. If a tire blows you could have a couple dozen pounds of rubber come through the windshield. Inb4 'tires don't do that if maintained' yes, they do do that, even if properly maintained and not a recap.
Ainttellinyabastards
Can confirm had a new tire blow apart and rip the 2x4" 1/4 wall square tube mud flap mount clean off the trailer. more then enough force to throw rubber through a car window.
xstickman
I understand being a safe driver and how to treat trucks differently but honestly whenever I see these blindspot maps my gut reaction is always "Huh, maybe these things shouldn't be on the road then". That is a LOT of blind area
RickityBobbity
Its exaggerated to make a point. I can see in most of that red. But there are a few spots that I cant see, and some that require significant neck tweaking to see.
Homer1691
Railways are expensive to build, and can't get everywhere. Mirrors, backup cameras, and safe driving habits are cheap. If only people would use them.
Dekker3D
Rail transport is also much more efficient than trucks, isn't it? Very little braking, barely any rolling resistance on the wheels, less air drag per ton of cargo.
DisneyCountdowns
Hey asswipe, every single thing you own including the materials to build that shitty one bedroom you live in, was at one time, on a truck.
mikasaur
A little aggressive but accurate.
AgainstMethod
He not arguing against trucks. Just saying they should have smaller blindspots, which most semi's do.
AbsoluteThunderMuppet
Ok Jimmy Hoffa.
Exdeath5000
I drove a 40 foot diesel pusher RV that was towing a midsize SUV. It is the closest I will ever get to driving an 18 wheeler, and it definitely gives you an appreciation for what truck drivers deal with on a daily basis
gumol
And all of that on a regular license, right?
Exdeath5000
Correct, air brakes, weighs over 30,000lbs. Pretty crazy that it is allowed
Metalbawkses
Am trucker, I usually assume every single 4 wheeler on the road is absolutely capable and willing to slaughter everyone within 500ft of them so they can make that exit after crossing 5 lanes of traffic without looking. Or my personal favorite, being behind me on the right lane, the exit is 1mi away, the exit lane begins in .5mi. They will then pass me on the left, and cut across with inches to spare both from me and the barriers, to make that exit. Instead of waiting literally 10-15s
gypsyspot
People are idiots. I've seen some pretty awful truckers though too. Logging trucks going way too fast for the grade and cutting across oncoming lanes on a mountain highway trying to cut the curves, all kinds of things. A CDL doesn't make you a good driver. I think most people have just become too complacent to driving to appreciate the danger for themselves and others, and therefore do dumb things. It's almost shocking to me that more people don't die.
Metalbawkses
I completely agree. Even us otr types can't stand log and dumps. We also, obviously, have our share of jabronis
AlterSack
You're talking about idiots, don't you?
DemSumBigAssRidges
He sure am.
Exdeath5000
Lol how did you guess?
AlterSack
I have my bright moments. This was the one for this week, I guess.
Exdeath5000
Yea people do cut you off thinking you can stop on a dime, and think it is a good idea to pass you just to pull into the gap you are leaving so you can stop and not kill anyone. I started just going 10-15 mph slower than the speed limit so the twerps had no reason to be close to me
AlterSack
Yeah … a long time ago (~35 years, with very fresh driving license) I drove a box truck (just a small one, because my driver's license allows only 7,5t). But if I learned anything from it, it's that even these comparatively small trucks are awfully confusing, take up a lot of space when turning, and are constantly being cut, slowed down, and mobbed; this has pretty much nothing to do with driving a regular passenger car.
Sasurau
The commoj clay of the new west
IamAlbertPotato
That sounds pretty fuckin big....40 foot is the length of the long containers....
Exdeath5000
Yea it is. I have to use special GPS, same as truckers to keep me out of areas where I would easily get stuck
IamAlbertPotato
As a trucker myself I have to say well done
Exdeath5000
Thank you and stay safe
NullUser20
This. I tow a very large travel trailer regularly, and it really makes me extra cautious of those towing when I'm not.
JinxRocks
I have family that we’re truck drivers (last one recently retired). I was taught to never ever pull in front of a big rig if you could not see both headlights in your rear view mirror first. Still follow thst to this day..,
AntaNce
I was taught if following a truck to stay far enough behind that I can see the rearview mirrors & if I can't see them-the truck can't see me
coreydeangibson6
I do that with all vehicles I pass. I used to drive a compensatingly large pickup and it gave me a feel on the braking distance on larger vehicles.
anjeleyezjr
This, and also make sure to signal at least for 10 seconds before a lane change.
coreydeangibson6
Having been a gate guard before, I can say that way too many people behind the wheel of a semi are absolute fucking morons.
PhailRaptor
A notable percentage of that is a combination of being paid more for getting the load to the destination as fast as possible, and the fact that the transport company spends the bare minimum on driver training
wailbait
I used to work for a produce distributor, and the majority of the drivers I encountered could barely read. On more than one occasion I had to climb into a truck and put the delivery address into the GPS for the driver. We call those guys steering wheel holders, cause that's all they do.
nik282000
We have a dedicated guy in our yard just for backing into loading bays because half the drivers can't do it on their own. How do I get someone to do half my fuckin job for free?
Homer1691
Im not even a trucker, just a bus driver, but I would hide my face in shame if someone else had to park my bus for me. I practice backing into spots on a daily basis, just so I know I can do it even when it's dark and I'm tired. Like, how did those guys ever pass their driving test?
nik282000
They don't no one checks.
Homer1691
no but like, if you are shipping a load, you need to record the sale transaction, payroll, gas expenses, mileage. you need to record who was driving, with an ELD now, no more fudgeable paper logs. Every driver has to have the appropriate licensing for the vehicle they drive, and records of their training by a certified trainer (though that rule is a recent one). And then the Hwy Patrol does truck stops where they check. Like, you can't just hand-wave away all of that ppwk, not for long. So how?
Faaaaantastic
Yes, do not cut off semi trucks (or anyone) because it is highly unsafe. But the accident in this picture is not the pickup truck's fault. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/chevy-suburban-kills-baby/
Donaldbain
and yet it was destroyed anyway.
TheSilverSeraph
Thank you. You are the MVP here
DefinitelyaHumanNotanAlien
Facebook rando inventing the bullshit about a two month old baby because the original accident just wasn't tragic enough, apparently. Pretty shitty of them to insinuate fault on the part of the pickup truck when their only fault was 'being on the road that day' as well.
Topedo
6 years later and people are still posting the same misinformation, thanks for this link
Faaaaantastic
This is the only reason I knew, seen it before.
ElbowDeepInAHeadlessHorseman
Blze001
It still serves as a good example of what can happen to even a large pickup when a semi hits it. The tone could be more respectful since it wasn't the pickup's fault, though.
tomatoboy
Thank you.
OblivionCityGuard
you mean people on the internet would misinterpret stuff based on a single picture ?
BryanTenn
That. And even if it was true, I don't want to see an obvious fatal crash ball on the front page. Some of us have not been completely desensitized to the suffering of others...yet.
barbarian818
"When you share a trail with an elephant, if anyone stumbles, you lose" (taken from a SciFi book about developing a US high speed train and a laser boosted SSTO space plane whose title I forget)
BrdCdn
Be nice if those "elephant" truckers were paying attention and just generally competent. Some of the worst drivers I see on the roads are truckers.
Blimjoe
Maybe a better caption would be "in the case of a semi-truck rear ending a passenger vehicle, this is a probable outcome"
KnifeKnut
I wonder if there's any context whatsoever in any situation where victim blaming is acceptable, because this one isn't acceptable.
PrastaryOrk
Well, one may be the perpetrator and the sole victim of an accident at the same time.
Exdeath5000
Of course there is. Walk out onto a highway and jump in front of cars. That isn't anyone's fault except the "victim". The true victim is the person that couldn't avoid them and now has to live with the fact they killed someone for the rest of their lives
SlightlyRelatedToThePost
Except the picture shown is literally from a situation where the pickup driver was not at fault. They were both crushed and had done nothing wrong.
InkyBlinkyPinkyAndClyde
I still think about the asshole on a bicycle who ran a red and came out in front of me, no lights, no signals, from a dark driveway, steering with one hand and talking on the phone with the other. I almost killed him. Luckily I was paying attention, as we all should be, and was able to slam on the brakes and stop in time. He never even realized he almost died. It would have been 100% his fault, but I would have been the one who'd have to live with it. Terrifying.
kickahippie
I-20 is a shit show. Goes from 80mph to dead stop in the blink if an eye and there isn’t much shoulder before ur in a ditch. That said I do wish we could see the back end of that semi, must have been railed to push him 40ft into the back of that other semi.
jridley
This is why lane splitting (properly, at low speeds) for motorcycles is a critical safety issue that we really need to be more widely legal. NOTE I'm not talking about idiots blowing through fast traffic at 40 MPH over the speed of traffic so don't bring that red herring here.
kickahippie
CorrectMostOfTheTime
Unrelated to this in any way
blaghart
IT's highly relevant actually. This is a prime example of how dangerous the road is, and lane splitting is a safety feature that needs legalizing to protect motorcyclists. If this is how bad it is for a vehicle with airbags and crumple zones, imagine how bad it is for someone straddling nothing but an engine and some wheels
CorrectMostOfTheTime
Yes but this wasn’t a lane splitting case it was a semi hitting another semi causing it to squash the truck. Be like someone saying make sure to not speed and buckle up, yes good for safety but it’s a non-sequitur and detract from this actual issue. Don’t drink and drive, sure but not related to this instance.
Thisisallyourfault
Not really. Lane splitting, when done properly, removes motorcyclists from becoming a pancake in rear end pileup incidents like this, which have a much higher fatality rate than if you're involved in a similar incident while driving a car.
CorrectMostOfTheTime
Sure but that’s not related to this at all there was no lane splitting and no motorcycles involved at all so not sure why you brought that up
jridley
A driving technique designed to keep road users from getting crushed by larger vehicles is unrelated to road users getting crushed by larger vehicles???
CorrectMostOfTheTime
A tractor trailer was rear ended by another tractor trailer and slammed into a pickup truck in front of then smashing it. Lane splitting is not a factor in this instance
spitfires2000
That said, some trucks brake pretty... pretty... pretty good.
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DingoWoof
It isn't empty. The tag axle on the unit it is down, if it was empty it'd be raised.
amb1021
What stupid kids, holy shit.
AK90
Volvo released a statement after this happened. Commending the drivers reaction time because the Automatic Breaking System didnt see the kid in time to react. So it was all the driver.
joot
The engineers are still to be commended for brakes that effective.
nosnowyno
That truck was empty and not going very fast
DarkSock
ur left nostril is empty and not going very fast
Neotic357
10-15 m/s judging by the video, so 36-54 km/h, 22-34mph, fast enough that a quarter of a second extra reaction time would have meant a struck kid.
DingoWoof
The tag axle on the unit is down, so it's definitely not empty.
nepeta413
I first thought this was a shock/death video... thankfully just a close call
Susurus
Boop
Sage042000
That kid's an idiot. Just passed on the opportunity to be reincarnated as a total Chad with expert sword/magic skills and a harem. Probably with a cat girl, dragon girl or vampire chick too. His loss.
NinetiesBoomer
I'm sure one day, he'll look back on this and regret the whole thing.
SmilinSloth
Must have been empty because if it was hauling a load that would have ended different
NomadUniverse
European trucks. Very well built. Much better standards in all categories.
iamlegendinjapan
But they only do that once now. Those brakes have to be replaced
FoxySpirit
Lucky that it was a Euro style semi so they could see directly in front.
ironymus
You can't also see what is directly in front of a Euro style Truck. They also have a blind spot, because the driver sits quite far away from the wind screen. It's large enough to fit a sedan in.
EasyPeezy2019
Indeed which is why they have to have mirrors installed on the front of them since a few years so they can basically see up until their own front bumper. same goes with the passenger side where an additional mirror is required to eliminate blind spots there.
InvadingYourSpaces
Assist with, not eliminate. They're still blindspots.
lilsis1787
Yes and No most the time it depends on their load. If they’re empty braking isn’t an issue but if they’re loaded then breaking takes a loooong time. And how can you tell? Just better not take the risk and give any semi’s a wide birth.
MotoCanuck
Bully in red?
Apothecarius
The goddamn Brakemaster
oldskoofoo
I guess nobody taught they to look both ways before crossing the street
TicoGuy
Volvo!
keelindsey
Nice brakes, but he should have already been slowing for that exact reason. Whenever there is a stopped bus, you need to expect children in the road. Every damned time.
amglasgow
He probably already was, and that was the only reason it happened like that.
jplusc
around here, when a bus drops off kids, it says put with its flashed on until the kids are done crossing the road. I think that would of helped as well instead of the drop and run here.
gumol
all buses do that? cause this isn’t a school bus
jplusc
nope.. the kids threw me off... only school buses here.
taurondir
I agree with this. Simply seeing the bus stopping in the distance is a MASSIVE red flag warning to anticipate this kind of bullshit. You can't do it for every scenario but "young children zones" would be top list ones.
gumol
he was expecting children in the road, which helped with reaction times.
LordStevenDanger
Not excactly, he may have been slowing down but that was the automatic break system. Humans dont have this good reaction time
gumol
Volvo analyzed the incident and said that automatic braking didn't kick in, and it was all manual braking.
reineseele
Even pavement needs sacrifices from time to time or it rips open and unleashes gravely evilness.
infernopg
there was no reaction time here my man. This was the automated emergency braking system, they have insane performance in such cases but also fuck the drivers if you cut in front of them on the highway for example..
infernopg
visualized here for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ridS396W2BY
gumol
yeah, this isn't what happened here
gumol
"The report shows that distance between the truck and the child, who suddenly appeared on the road, was critically short. Moreover, the small-height child was running and appeared on the road unexpectedly. Thus, in that particular situation, it was impossible for the Volvo FH emergence braking system to recognize the child as an obstacle, and stop urgently."
gumol
Volvo themselves said it wasn’t automated braking, it was all driver.
infernopg
do you have a souce for that because i can find about 100 hits saying it is automated breaking but i can't find a single statement from volvo contradicting that and i find it more likely that the system hit the brakes than the guy that could barely see the child run out tbh
Excludos
I remember this one. It happened in Norway. The bus driver honked at the lorry as the kid ran over. Otherwise this would likely have ended up on a very different website.
DumpingSh1tandBeingKind2
Fucking hell they were beyond lucky!
spitfires2000
Volvo trucks would say: Some luck, some engineering.
DSREX
Some might say he should have slowed down for that bus releasing pedestrians into an area with no sidewalks.
Topedo
Do other countries not make all lanes stop for school busses like in America (or at least in Oregon) or is this not even a school bus with it's little stop sign?
Onebeats
In Germany you are supposed to drive walking speed when passing a stopped bus. However most people don’t even slow down…
ThePastmaster
In Sweden you're heavily cautioned when passing a stopped buss because people are stupid. Pedestrians are similarly cautioned to peek around the buss if they're gonna do it.
stonecw
This is why school bus drivers require students to cross in FRONT of the bus.
gumol
this isn't a school bus, it's just a regular bus
Topedo
Okay thanks! Not sure why so many people downvoted me for asking a question lol.
DoctorScoutBobTotoBarkingtonIII
Regardless, someone should teach the kids not to run into traffic expecting it to stop for them.
jsims281
You don't say.
ZackWester
that said that looks like a terrible designed buss stop.
Bjokobzen
That is no bus stop. It's the end of someones driveway.
Maverickaura
reducing this to a matter of luck is what gets american truck manufacturers off the hook for poor design
freshage
Also, good driver. He straightened those wheels to maximise the brakes.
freshage
Imagine how unintuitive it is in that situation. Steer INTO the child, but you know it'll give the most traction.
BigTex1
Yes, steer into the child.
freshage
It does as Cthulhu commands.
stercusmoriturussum
As long as they're unloaded or the load is really well strapped down.
TheMemeRecycler
American semi's are designed to stop better under full load, I was a trucker for a very short time before I stopped from fear of killing someone, other trucker feel free to correct me if wrong about the breaks
Windborne
I wouldn't say you're wrong. Trouble is the stopping distance with heavy loads. Even in dry conditions, the stopping distance is noticeably longer with the same braking power. What I've been taught is that light trailers are more likely to suffer wheel lock with heavy braking. Maybe you stop the truck, but the trailer finds a way around that.
lizardbones
load also has to be pretty light. if its not strapped, that truck if wiping out
yellowtimer
As someone without children and not a lot of maternal instinct I absolutely shit bricks watching this. Truck should slow down near a stopped bus and kids need to learn some better road safety. Everyone is really lucky here.
Provideniya
Yeah. Let's start stopping in middle of nowhere because there's a bus nearby!
gumol
the truck did slow down
dentista320
The european kind?
temotodochi
European max length of lorries is measured from bumper to bumper, which mandates this cab-over-engine design. Americans measure from windscreen or not at all.
PeterRoebel
https://youtu.be/KxRKFO_OiQM European lorries have a flat nose and engine under the driver. The video explains it
brandonblk
i've heard this type of braking fucks the brakes
whoisyourdaddy
Yup. But it doesn't fuck up the kid. Worth it. It doesn't always fuck up the brakes, and sometimes it does only a little. It doesn't matter. Brakes are cheaper than a dead kid.
ArdentSlacker
A bit, yeah. You're exerting enough force to make however many tons you're hauling *stop*, and over a pretty short distance... and you're doing it by squeezing metal pads against the wheels. Damn straight it's going to fuck 'em up. That's a LOT of wear and tear. But that's okay, you can replace those parts way way WAY easier than if a collision helps you out with an accordion impression.
TychoTychoAlba
Seems like the trucks could be designed a little better at the front to reduce the blindspot.
PhailRaptor
Not just semis. All cars.
Metalbawkses
My truck (2021 Peterbilt 579) only has really two blind spots. Passenger side forward of the door (small cars disappear behind my hood. I sit higher to help compensate) and directly behind me. My mirrors cover all my sides from the front doors back. That all being said. If it's raining, and you drive a silver car with your lights off, and then you hide in the suicide zone (directly behind my drive axels, the duals at the end of the cab) you are effectively invisible to me.
Hal1918
Cars have blind spot warning devices. What about your Peterbilt 579?
Metalbawkses
Some do, mine specifically, does not. I use the Mk. 1 eyeball
theAttendant
If you ever get a chance to sit in the drivers seat have someone walk around the truck and try following them in the mirrors.
TacoPoweredHelicopter
My question at this point is what the fuck is there not cameras all over the damn thing. There should be no blind spots.
Homer1691
Most school busses and large coaches put the engine in the back for this reason. The front end is flat, so the blind spot is only a few feet, which you can see into using crossover mirrors. But that's difficult to do for a tractor-trailer, because they need a giant hitch in the back, and the weight of the engine in front helps balance the tractor.
mandorsawalll
Like European? Everybody says it's because of tight turns in Europe. What about visibility?
dakonsept
Hey, sorry, thanks for the clarification. The diagram is a little confusing to me. The blind spot is TWENTY feet ahead?! How!
TheOnlyPtylerdactyl
With cameras and such, we could eliminate blind spots in all vehicles.
TheSupremeCrabMaster
In theory, yes. In practice, that makes more for the driver to focus on besides the road itself.
JohnMcL7
A number of newer trucks in Europe now do have cameras in place of wing mirrors and my 13 year old car has a very handy blind spot monitoring system
Ionico
Nonsense. That costs money, a small amount of money, barely more than the life of humans, therefore economically unsound. /s
TheOnlyPtylerdactyl
Capitalism wins again!
arfysdad
This! And the way that auto companies fought tooth and nail to avoid having to put in seat belts, safety glass, air bags, crumple zones and other safety features, they would absolutely fight this.
DingoWoof
To an extent, but it doesn't matter how many cameras an mirrors you put on a vehicle, there's still only one pair of eyes looking at them and you can't be looking at all of them at the same time.
TacoPoweredHelicopter
A computer can be.
DrDred
If we could only evolve into spider people.
dohcohv
Cabovers do have a smaller front blindspot in exchange for worse fuel economy, worse comfort, and more difficult maintenance. The blindspot for a conventional truck also varies widely, the older trucks have much larger ones, newer trucks with better aero generally have smaller ones.
Oathbreaker
You should recheck your sources, EU trucks are actually more efficient than US trucks at the moment. There is more to fuel economy than aerodynamics.
dohcohv
Yes there is, like driving styles and speeds. Trucks in the EU operate at lower speeds than the US. If they actually got better mileage on American roads, you would see more of them in the US. The reason Cabovers exist at all is due to maximum length restrictions, which used to also exist in the US, but were removed in the 80s, which is why Cabovers were basically dead by the 90s in the US outside short range deliveries.
Evi1Gav
Pretty sure the reason US trucks only exist in the US also had to do with protectionist import policies, giving domestic truck builders a massive tax advantage.
dohcohv
No, ALL american truck manufacturers built cabovers for decades until the 1980s. Cabovers could have a sleeper and still pull a 53' trailer while a regular truck couldn't. When the max length was repealed, the only positive cabovers had was gone. Then freight carriers who live on narrow margins went to conventional trucks because they got better gas mileage than the cabovers, were more comfortable for long haul, and easier to do maintenance on.
tooomanystevesgotbanned
Cameras? Sensors?
dohcohv
Then you have to put a screen out of the way of the windshield to display the camera, which distracts a driver if they even look at it. Some trucks do have mirrors mounted on the fenders to show what is in the blindspot.
Maverickaura
you could integrate a dedicated screen that only shares what the front facing camera sees into the instrument cluster in such a way that i appears as if the windshield just continued, and the instruments appear as a hud. we have the tech for that kinda stuff these days, its just its not profitable to do so.
Maverickaura
additionally, the side blindspots already require the driver to look away from the front windshield to check. mirrors are mounted at the sides of the vehicle. adding a cam to spot what the mirrors can't, and adding those displays onto existing mirror clusters, wouldn't be that more dangerous than. . . adding mirrors is
Ghlargh
Some countries require those extra mirrors to even be on the road too.
hardytardigrade
It must be very expensive to pave the road with mirrors