A new promo video for a CBS news special called “Hauling Danger” has prompted immediate backlash from the trucking community.
The voice over and background music in the clip seem to be more appropriate for a murder documentary than a news report on the transportation industry. The clip highlights several crashes, and ends with “Could your family be next?”
Just hours after it was uploaded to the CBS New York Facebook page, the post was flooded with responses from outraged viewers.
These journalists should ride in a tractor trailer for a few days and experience what they deal with every mile, 4-wheelers (aka cars, trucks) cutting them off at every exit, slamming on brakes in front of a big truck, expecting the semi to be able to stop and wonder why they get ran over or side-swiped when the trucker tries to avoid them. Get a real perspective of the story before you report on it CBS!!
How about fixing the true problem and teach people how to drive around semis. 80-90℅ of semi-4wheeler car or personal vehicle accidents are caused by the person driving the smaller vehicle… Trucks take more rooms in turns, trucks need way way way more space to stop, if you merge back in front of a semi any closer than an entire semis length you are cutting the semi off putting the driver in danger of having to kill you should you have to immediately emergency stop. If the yellow sign for the curve says 35 mph and the semi driver is going too fast avoid being along side him. Try not to pass a semi on the right because it’s freaking hard to see you out of those mirrors and easy to screw up and side swipe you. Also if there are signs saying no trucks left lane realize that the truck tailgating you in the middle lane is trying to pass in the passing Lane designated by law for trucks to pass. Most people ignore those signs. It’s a lot ain’t it. But if kids were taught it when learning to drive the road would be much safer.
Really? Could your family be next? Well, statistically, yes, but in around 9.5 out of 10 of those accidents, you would be next because you caused the accident. Truck/car accidents are seldom the fault of the truck. I’ll be interested to see the report, but if it follows the tone set in this preview, it will be prejudicial and misleading.
Perhaps we’re completely wrong with our perception of the ad. Maybe the segment will highlight how vital truckers are to the American way of life, and maybe it’ll encourage four-wheelers to drive safer around trucks. We’ll find out for sure once it airs on Friday at 11 p.m. on CBS.
