Cruising at 50 mph in sparse traffic and a light rain, something caught truck driver John Doe’s eye: a slow-moving compact car in the southbound lane.
A pickup was quickly approaching the car from the rear and attempted a panic stop but lost traction on the wet asphalt. The out-of-control pickup slid directly into the path of Doe’s tractor.
The fleet's safety director hit Doe with a preventable accident so Doe appealed to the National Safety Council’s Accident Review Committee for a final ruling.
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Light rain pattered gently against the cab as John Doe drove his tractor trailer northward along a stretch of rural, two-lane highway.
The speed limit was posted at 55 mph. At high noon, while cruising at 50 mph in sparse traffic, something caught Doe’s eye- a very slow-moving compact car was emerging in the southbound lane.
At that instant, a fast-moving southbound pickup truck came around a curve about 100 yards behind the car. Suddenly aware that a nearly stationary automobile was blocking her lane, the pickup driver attempted a panic stop. That attempt was unsuccessful, resulting in the pickup losing traction on the wet asphalt.
The out-of-control pickup swapped lanes and slid directly into the path of Doe’s tractor!
According to a witness, there was nothing Doe could have done to avoid striking the pickup, saying he applied his brakes and spun the steering wheel full right.
While Doe’s local review board judged him guiltless, the corporate safety director was not convinced. So the matter was sent to the National Safety Council’s Accident Review Committee for a final ruling. After considering the statement of the witness, NSC ruled the incident non-preventable, noting Doe did all he could to mitigate an unforeseeable incident.
