Coming soon to a traffic fatality near you

"DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back" (karsonkinja)
03/09/2019 at 14:56 • Filed to: None

It wasn’t just these tires, it was all of them...

DISCUSSION (17)

TheRealBicycleBuck > DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back
03/09/2019 at 15:07

When he finally gets it fixed, it will be with retreads which he will leave somewhere on the interstate for someone else to run over.

atfsgeoff > TheRealBicycleBuck
03/09/2019 at 15:14

As a motorcyclist, separating retreads are a huge hazard and potentially lethal. They scare the shit out of me.

Just Jeepin' > DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back
03/09/2019 at 15:17

I know people in states with safety inspections tend to dislike them, but it’s hard not to see something like that and wonder why it’s allowed on the roads.

Future Heap Owner > Just Jeepin'
03/09/2019 at 15:34

Regardless of whether personal vehicles are inspected at any regular interval, I sure as hell wish that every state inspected vehicles this large (especially commercial ones) at least every six months.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Just Jeepin'
03/09/2019 at 15:41

Most states still have DOT inspections at weigh stations and such for vehicles like this regardless of what is required for passenger cars.

Edit: federal regulations

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&ty=HTML&h=L&mc=true&=PART&n=pt49.5.396

50ford500 > DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back
03/09/2019 at 15:45

I have to deal with these vehicles daily and some of the asinine ways people maintain them makes me wonder just how on point inspectors are. Bald, mismatched (and I mean more like drive axle tires on steer axles and vice/versa) terrible condition and filthy as hell. I mean I get that it’s a work vehicle and all but geeze

PS9 > Just Jeepin'
03/09/2019 at 15:52

Even in states that don’t have personal car inspections, there are DOT cars that will pull over trucks when they see something they don’t like. For owner/operators, keeping your rig clean so all the numbers you have to put on it can be seen is a big deal. Some slip through the cracks though. The cops can’t be everywhere.

fintail > Just Jeepin'
03/09/2019 at 16:42

Murka, freedumb, business friendly, regulations are evil, socialism is satan, etc.

BigBlock440 > Just Jeepin'
03/09/2019 at 19:09

I live in a state with annual inspections, it does not prevent bald tires. I’ve run several sets to the cords myself, as long as there’s decent tread for winter and inspection, I’m going to get as much use out of them as I can during the summer. I’ll slow down during the occasional rainstorm if I need to.

Just Jeepin' > BigBlock440
03/09/2019 at 19:17

We just talked about that yesterday.

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/1833155668

BigBlock440 > Just Jeepin'
03/09/2019 at 19:40

I’m not sure how that’s relevant, was the plane in a non-inspection state and didn’t need a windshield sticker?

Just Jeepin' > BigBlock440
03/09/2019 at 19:49

For Sweden posted in the comment thread I attempted to link:

Too many operators think the absence of a failure is the absence of a hazard. After all, Murphy’s Law says that if something can go wrong, it will. Therefore, since nothing has gone wrong, nothing will go wrong.

Bald tires are dangerous to you and those around you regardless of road conditions. The fact that it hasn’t (literally) blown up on you previously doesn’t mean it won’t next time.

facw > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
03/09/2019 at 23:27

Granted I’m not going on long road trips all the time, but it’s been many years since I’ve seen an open weigh station. And many seem to have been replaced by some sort of transponder gate thing?

facw > Just Jeepin'
03/09/2019 at 23:33

Think it would be interesting to see widespread practical adoption of a system that checks treadwear of passing vehicles. Nokian was working on something: https://newatlas.com/nokian-snapskan-tire-3d-scanner/46933/ The ability to catch tire wear when it is bad instead of months later in an inspection (or only after a crash in non-inspection states) would be much more useful, and hopefully better at getting these cars off the road.

There are states trying out similar tech for emissions testing, and it would be nice to get tested on the fly, eliminating the need for a dedicated check. Obviously I don’t think you can replace a safety check completely but it seems within the realm of possibility to check tire wear, light function, and maybe even braking on the fly rather than relying on annual checks.

facw > TheRealBicycleBuck
03/09/2019 at 23:35

I would love for there to be a requirement to brand retreads in several places with a unique ID tied to the truck, and impose heavy fines for lost ones. I’m pretty sure they aren’t supposed to be letting them get so bad that they just fall off, and they pose a serious hazard to other traffic (obviously worse for bikes, but they can cause expensive auto damage as well).

Or just ban retreads.

Just Jeepin' > facw
03/09/2019 at 23:49

Just drive near me and I’ll do your light checks.

BigBlock440 > Just Jeepin'
03/12/2019 at 14:56

That has nothing to do with your original assertion that annual inspections prevent things like bald tires. I am telling you they don’t, as I live in a state with annual inspections .