Monster Trucks! Trivia Quiz

Answer: it decreased by 33%

Over the past 20 years in the U.S.(1980 to 2000) there has been a 39-percent increase in registered large trucks (18 wheelers)and an 90-percent increase in miles traveled by large trucks.

Answer: the car driver

Check out the AAA traffic safety website . They list the various factors as being cutting in front of a truck, driver inattention, fatigue, speeding, failure to stay in lane and failure to yield right of way, as the main reasons for this. http://www.aaafoundation.org/home/

Answer: 4

Not as high as you thought, huh?

Answer: 80,000 lbs

Generally, 80,000 is the maximum for 18-wheelers. However, even at 80,000, this is like 20 - 30 times the weight of a car (depending on the weight of your car)! Is it in your best interest to steer clear of the big trucks?

Answer: twice the length of a football field

A big truck cannot stop on a dime, like a little car. In the U.S. trucks usually have ABS brakes.

A loaded truck weighing the maximum allowed (80,000 lbs.) can require twice the length of a football field or more to stop. The lighter the load, the longer the distance! Probably the opposite of what you thought. And rain or slick roads make even more distance necessary.
Accidents are caused sometimes from tailgating or the driver in the rear vehicle not paying attention.

Here's some more info for you to add to that memory bank that you hang your hat on.

FACT: How fast you are traveling affects how well you're able to control a vehicle or stop it.

Stopping distance is determined by 3 factors:
* Perception Distance
* Reaction Distance
* Braking Distance

Total stopping distance = perception distance + reaction distance + braking distance

What are all these distances you ask?

Perception Distance: length the vehicle travels from the time you see a hazard until your brain recognizes it (for alert drivers, approx. 3/4 of a second). At 55 mph, a vehicle travels about 60 feet in 3/4 of a second. For comparison, from the back of the trailer to about 1/2 way through the sleeper (if the driver is pulling a 53' van)

Reaction Distance: length a vehicle travels in the time it takes the brain to tell the foot to push the brake pedal. This reaction takes another 3/4 of a second and another 60 feet. Total distance traveled to this point: 120 feet! (About 1 1/2 truck / trailer lengths)

Braking Distance: length it takes to stop a vehicle once the brakes are applied. At 55 mph, on dry road, and with good brakes, the vehicle travels approx. 390 more feet in 4.5 seconds before stopping. Total stopping distance from the appearance of the hazard = approximately 6 seconds and 510 feet! THAT'S ALMOST TWICE THE LENGTH OF A FOOTBALL FIELD!

***NOTE***
* Speeds above 55 mph greatly increase stopping distance.
* Brakes, tires, springs, and shocks on heavy vehicles are designed to work best when the vehicle is fully loaded. It takes more time and distance to stop an empty vehicle.

Source: Speed and Space Management Driver's Handbook, J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc.I