Some lessons in trucking are learned the easy way, others the hard way – and then there are those that come with the sound of crunching metal and insurance headaches. One trucker recently found himself on the receiving end of instant karma after a reckless move that violated not just one, but two major road rules.
Cruising at an eye-watering 123km/h – a full 43km/h over the legal limit for trucks – our speedster decided that the solid white line in front of him was merely a suggestion. Without a second thought, he pulled out to overtake another truck, completely ignoring the obvious reason for the continuous white line: something was happening ahead that he couldn’t see.
And oh boy, was something happening!
Just in front of the truck he was overtaking, another truck was making a right turn. By the time our reckless hero realised what was happening, he was in a world of trouble. He slammed the brakes, but doing 123km/h meant he had way too much momentum to stop in time. At about 65km/h, he ploughed straight into the turning truck’s trailer, giving it an unwanted “rear-end upgrade.”
Breaking Down the Mistakes
- Overspeeding – Trucks have an 80km/h limit for a reason. At 123km/h, stopping distance is almost double what it would be at the legal speed. By the time he saw the danger, it was already too late.
- Overtaking on a solid white line – Those lines aren’t there for decoration. They warn drivers that overtaking is unsafe due to limited visibility, intersections, or other hazards – like a truck turning right!
Watch: Dashcam Captures Overtaking Side Tipper Truck Crashing
Now, let’s play the “what if” game.
What if he was only doing 80km/h and decided to overtake illegally? Not ideal, but at least he’d have a better chance of stopping or, at worst, crashing at a much lower speed with minimal damage.
Not that we’re encouraging breaking the law, but let’s be honest – some drivers out there treat reckless driving like a sport. If you’re going to risk it all, at least don’t break two laws at the same time! One bad decision is bad enough; two can be deadly.
This guy got lucky. Next time, the lesson might come with a trip to the morgue instead of the panelbeater.
Watch the dashcam video below:
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