An Indiana State Police trooper recently went viral with a post breaking down the numbers to explain why cutting off a semi truck is so dangerous.
The post was shared on social media by trooper John Perrine – Indiana State Police Indianapolis District on March 22.
Perrine writes:
Next time you see an opening in front of a truck, whether you’re changing lanes or pulling into traffic, remember these numbers. If you drive a truck these numbers are important to you as well
If a truck weighs 80,000 pounds and is traveling 67 miles per hour it generates 11,970,677 ft/lbs of kinetic energy
A Dodge Charger, for example, would need to travel 265 miles per hour to match that kinetic energy.
In a crash, higher kinetic energy creates a more detrimental impact, which leads to a higher rate of injuries.
The post generated more than 7,100 likes and 7,200 shares.
See what people had to say in response to the post below.
- “Me and my dad got on the interstate when I was learning to drive and one of the first things he told me was the big rigs own the road whether you like it or not. If you tangle with one of them you’ll lose every time. Respect them and give them room. Great advice I follow to this day.”
- “As a trucker, this is one thing I can agree and support law enforcement with. Good job trying to help the general public understand. As a trucker, we want everyone to go home safe!
- “Thank you for posting this I hope people pay attention to it. My husband drives a truck and almost on a daily basis he has people pulling out in front of him or cutting him off on the highway as if he can just stop on a dime. I wish some people on the road worried as much about truckers getting home to their families as my husband worries about those on the road around him.”
- “My dad was hauled steel back in the 60’s…. His advice when I learned to drive was to stay away from trucks, give them room and never dart in front of them where they need to brake. And also when following behind make sure you can see their side mirrors…. If you can’t see the mirrors, they can’t see you. Following too close might cause issue if they have to brake suddenly!”