After yesterday’s large pileup on Interstate 90 in Upstate New York, reporters from Syracuse.com caught up with one trucker who shared his thoughts on how to prevent major weather-related accidents.
The driver, John McNabb of Onatrio, Canada, witnessed the aftermath of the 20-vehicle pileup and spent much of his morning stuck in the Warners Travel Plaza due to highway closures.
McNabb, with 25 years of truck driving experience, says it seems like everyone is too much of a hurry and not paying attention to their surroundings.
“It’s like everybody wants to win a race. Well as far as public safety goes, that ain’t no race. That’s serious business,” he said.
He says that truckers often feel pressured to deliver their loads on time, and sometimes drive through poor conditions to get the job done. He also added that increased government regulations aren’t working to improve road safety.
“Because I cross the border, I have to adhere to U.S. law, and I don’t have a problem with that. We’ve gone through at least two different changes with our log books, but safety hasn’t gotten any better. It’s gotten worse,” he said. “Regulation is going up, but safety is getting worse.”
His final words of advice? Slow down or get off the road in bad weather — no trip is worth your life.