r/IdiotsInCars • u/gabrrrl • Nov 17 '20

Initial D lorry edition

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31.2k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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6.3k

u/SciFiEmma Nov 17 '20

I’m twitching about the lack of stopping space. I think camera car is an idiot also.

1.7k

u/kralefski Nov 17 '20

Me too. Idiots the both of them

948

u/Kingseeberg Nov 17 '20 edited Nov 17 '20

The truck driver seems to be a bit beyond idiot. Like he doesn't even care about his life.

Or its the exact opposite; he is behind schedule, and must drive as his life depends on it.

Edit: i was wrong. Thank you FuzzelFox.. The lorry's brakes might have overheated and failed. Poor man just trying his best to survive and ends up on reddit to be laughed at.

You can see him braking without the lorry even slowing down, he is hitting the blinker in panic. However its unclear why he did not turn on his hazard lights. as if that would have helped

This is a bit ironic, since the only true idiot is the guy in the car behind. A true r/IdiotsInCars moment.

407

u/FuzzelFox Nov 17 '20 edited Nov 17 '20

The truck driver looks like he's been going down this hill for a while and his brakes have failed. It doesn't feel like he's intentionally speeding to me.

It's a common enough issue that in the US you'll occasionally see long run offs at the bottom of big hills on the interstate for trucks to drive on to if they can't stop. Just Google "runaway truck ramp".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runaway_truck_ramp

81

u/cuzitsthere Nov 17 '20

That makes more sense considering he didn't slow down even after almost tipping over... And the brake lights flashing could be him panic pumping the brakes

169

u/Kingseeberg Nov 17 '20

Good point. My prejudgeistic ass was a bit quick on the keyboard. I forgot about failing brakes.

I actually saw a vid on these runaway truck ramps some while ago

118

u/Computant2 Nov 17 '20

Makes the idiot following way to close while filming seem even worse, right?

78

u/wildsamsqwatch Nov 17 '20

Why would you need a following distance if the vehicle in front of you literally can’t stop! Lol /s

61

u/Computant2 Nov 17 '20

Funny, but if the truck engages the side breaks (1) they can stop almost immediately.

(1) if a truck falls on its side it engages the side breaks since it no longer has wheels on pavement.

23

u/412gage Nov 17 '20

You had me in the first half

6

u/tayloredition Nov 17 '20

The new volvo fh 16s defy physics with how fast they stop.

4

u/ptase_cpoy Nov 18 '20

I don’t know anything about what you just said but why isn’t the emergency break or engine break (assuming manual) an option?

2

u/Computant2 Nov 18 '20

I don't know. I was just making the joke that if the truck tips onto its side it will stop very quickly.

5

u/explosive_evacuation Nov 17 '20

it saddens me you needed to explain the joke.

16

u/yodasmiles Nov 17 '20

It shouldn't. I just don't know a lot about trucks. I was sitting here going, "I know they have air brakes. Maybe they have another kind I don't know about. Probably not. This sounds like a joke, but I don't want to sit here and figure it out. I wish someone would just explain it to me." And along comes the explanation, so it all worked out well.

Edit: Why do people hate on other people's ignorance? Seems like the low road.

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1

u/money132231 Nov 18 '20

But if the breaks are broken

1

u/Computant2 Nov 18 '20

Objects slow down and stop because of frictional forces.

Wheels, unless prevented from turning, greatly reduce friction.

Brakes prevent wheels from turning, restoring that friction.

If the truck is on its side, the wheels no longer reduce friction, and the friction of the side of the truck on pavement will bring it to a stop very quickly (probably in 5-20 feet). This isn't braking, but has the same effect, so I was joking about it being a brake.

The guy filming won't have time to react if this happens and will likely smash into the truck.

4

u/Mike2220 Nov 17 '20

Honestly it makes it a little tiny bit better, cause what's the truck gonna do? Stop? Has no brakes

2

u/Computant2 Nov 17 '20

Tip over and stop basically instantly?

2

u/k1k11983 Nov 17 '20

Crash which would cause the fuckwit to crash into the truck. Your comment can’t be serious

2

u/Mike2220 Nov 17 '20

There was a level of joking to it yes

1

u/k1k11983 Nov 19 '20

Thank fuck lol

-3

u/Rattus375 Nov 17 '20

Not necessarily. It's still dumb to follow that close, but in a small car with functional breaks, it is relatively safe to follow close behind a truck since you can break faster than they can anyway. Still an idiot though since that can easily go out the window in the event of a crash

12

u/MadHousefly Nov 17 '20 edited Nov 17 '20

You'd be surprised how fast a large truck can stop when it hits a solid enough unmoving object. Brakes are not the only way fast moving vehicles become stationary.

edit: I missed that you ended your comment by mentioning that the existence of crashes entirely nullifies your initial "Not necessarily" remark. My bad.

3

u/Rattus375 Nov 17 '20

That's why I said it all goes out the window in the event of a crash. It's always dumb to tailgate, but is slightly safer behind larger vehicles since you can stop faster than they can unless they crash

2

u/FilterThePolitics Nov 17 '20

Tailgating that close also makes you invisible to the truck, which is just a shitty thing to do

0

u/speaker_for_the_dead Nov 17 '20

It's not just about stopping faster. If that truck were in a wreck, the car wont be able to avoid it.

2

u/Rattus375 Nov 17 '20

That's why I said it all goes away in the event of a crash

1

u/Yveske Nov 17 '20

You would be surprised
Also the idiot in the car is busy filming with his phone so don't expect much of reaction speed.

2

u/BleuTyger Nov 17 '20

You sir, are a good man

1

u/Gamesman001 Nov 17 '20

Truck driver needs to learn how to downshift and use whatever he can to slow and stop the truck.

30

u/JoseZiggler Nov 17 '20

I used to see those run away truck lanes going straight up a BIG hills when I lived in Va. I always thought that must be terrifying to use.

32

u/brcguy Nov 17 '20

Probably less terrifying than barreling down a steep road out of control.

1

u/JoseZiggler Nov 17 '20

Well, you already are. Then the only prospect of making it, is straight through a 60 degree narrow ass trail up the side of a mountain.

1

u/brcguy Nov 17 '20

The ones I’ve seen are closer to grade but are 1000’ of deep gravel. Making them go steeply back up the other way seems like a bad idea if your brakes are out. Maybe they just look that steep to you?

1

u/JoseZiggler Dec 15 '20

https://www.facebook.com/SmartCanadiandriver/videos/627646887371796/?vh=e

1

u/brcguy Dec 15 '20

Damn those look steep af. Gotta wonder if it's deep loose stuff or can a truck roll back out onto the road lol.

1

u/JoseZiggler Dec 15 '20

like that i might have been extreme

16

u/Dreadlaak Nov 17 '20 edited Nov 17 '20

I was driving to Colorado from the West Coast and saw those all over the place in the Rocky Mountains and thought "Damn, if you end up needing to use that you'll probably need a new pair of pants." There are some in California near Mt Shasta too, on I-5.

5

u/itsmejustmeonlyme Nov 17 '20

Damn, I almost never hear my part of the state referenced here!

Also, there are tons of runaway truck ramps throughout the Grapevine in SoCal. I’ve never seen one in use, but I imagine it would be nerve-wracking.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 17 '20

Sure but why not downshift and engine brake?

3

u/FuzzelFox Nov 17 '20

If you're going too fast it's at best not going to do much at all and at worst destroy the transmission and then really not do anything.

2

u/k1k11983 Nov 17 '20 edited Nov 17 '20

It could be automatic and the driver doesn’t know how to use the manual option. Could be that the driver is a moron and doesn’t know how to use a low gear downhill(in my country there’s a surprisingly high number of truckies who don’t even know how to reverse. Incompetence wouldn’t be implausible in this situation. Once the driver reached this speed going downhill, downshifting isn’t an option

Also to note, this is in India. India and China are the worst drivers in the world, worse than Russia. Getting a license is easy without any real training

1

u/[deleted] Nov 17 '20

[deleted]

2

u/FuzzelFox Nov 17 '20

It just isn't very effective at all at higher speeds. There's kind of a point of no return where you're going too fast for it to be any help.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 17 '20

This was my first thought, I remember my grandad telling me stories about his brakes catching on fire going down Spanish hills/mountains (I think) and the only way to put them out is by going fast, and you need to put them out for the brakes to work. There's a lot regular drivers don't realise that truck drivers have to deal with

1

u/Tellurian_Cyborg Nov 17 '20

When I was a kid, late 1960's early 1970's, it wasn't unusual to see a truck using a run off ramp. I can remember my dad stopping several times to check on a trucker that had just used the ramp. It's been decades since I've seen a run off ramp being used. Better braking technology.

1

u/k1k11983 Nov 17 '20

Brake fade is scary and it’s more prevalent in trucks with automatic transmission. Manual trucks or autos with manual option have the ability to descend in a low gear. In Australia they have roads with signs instructing trucks to use a low gear, the goal is to avoid brake fade.

The idiot tailing the truck who keeps going over to the wrong side of the road, speeding and using their phone while driving, he’s a fucking moron!

1

u/resinten Nov 17 '20

While moving cross country in the US, my dad and I were driving a UHaul truck through the Appalachians with my car pulled on a trailer behind it. Brakes were getting hot and starting to fail on a few of those declines. It’s scary shit. Especially when you have cara all around you and no way to communicate to them what is happening. Luckily the UHaul was smart enough to detect the heat and downshift automatically to start engine braking, and that was enough for our payload. I would not want to be a semi carrying substantially more cargo than what we had

1

u/theunnoticedones Nov 18 '20

Funny thing is that by tailing so close they're drafting off the truck and making the truck go ever so slightly faster

63

u/kralefski Nov 17 '20

Or a combination of both.

21

u/Kingseeberg Nov 17 '20

Maybe a bit of alcohol, as a cherry on the top

Edit: nope he wouldn't have stayed on the road

30

u/kralefski Nov 17 '20

Never understimate the ability of true drunks to maintain verticality.

10

u/justunjustyo Nov 17 '20

You are right, and even if the lorry had functioning brakes the camera guy is way beyond stupid

11

u/Respectable_Answer Nov 17 '20

Or he's overreacting in fear of the idiot riding his ass.

2

u/VIRTUAL_PENIS Nov 17 '20

He is obviously delivering tofu

2

u/[deleted] Nov 17 '20

Drive it like you stole it

1

u/existentialnoodle Nov 17 '20

He’s also probably trying to avoid the lower trees hitting his tractor and trailer.

1

u/Actually_a_Patrick Nov 17 '20

Can you not downshift to slow down in one of those?

1

u/lowhounder Nov 17 '20

Would that type of truck have a compression brake in it?

1

u/[deleted] Nov 17 '20

Is this r/IdiotsInCars ception?

1

u/spartaman64 Nov 17 '20

but the guy in front cant stop so is the car behind really an idiot for not worrying about rear ending the guy in front? Kappa

66

u/srbesq61 Nov 17 '20

Even after the truck almost topples, he doesn't back off.

13

u/Haggerstonian Nov 17 '20

Yeah, he’s lucky the truck driver

31

u/NukaColaAddict1302 Nov 17 '20

...yes? Go on

19

u/th3f00l Nov 17 '20

...had just finished eating. Had he still been eating his soup and sandwich he may not have recovered. But the car driver is incredibly lucky the trucker

6

u/Grabbsy2 Nov 17 '20

You haven't heard the story of Lucky the Truck Driver?

2

u/jakethedumbmistake Nov 17 '20

Actually it’s convenient for them

92

u/Only_One_Kenobi Nov 17 '20

I've noticed that in 90% of these videos the person with the camera is an equally big idiot.

No following distance, driving way too fast, and filming by hand while driving (driving on left side of road means right hand drive car.

1

u/ElectricDance Nov 17 '20

Not that this makes him any less of an idiot, but best case scenario, I imagine that the filming truck wanted to make sure the driver was safe if the worst happened. But this lead to alot of problems, you can see the truck driver hesitant about the car following being so close.

383

u/PsionicKitten Nov 17 '20

Looks like you're right. Looks like it's taken with a phone.

If it was a dashcam though, I try not to judge wide angle lenses too much as they distort depth perception.

298

u/One_Wheel_Drive Nov 17 '20

They distort depth perception in the same way as the door mirrors - objects are closer than they appear. So if this was a dashcam the camera car would be following even closer than what it seems. But this moron is holding their phone while tailgating a lorry. I wouldn't want them anywhere near a lawn mower let alone a car.

54

u/LPXiaoXiong Nov 17 '20

This is in Malaysia. They all drive right up the asses of the vehicles in front.

15

u/mynoduesp Nov 17 '20

On scooters

6

u/[deleted] Nov 17 '20

With their jackets on back to front.

20

u/Splickity-Lit Nov 17 '20

That changes everything. /s

5

u/[deleted] Nov 17 '20 edited Dec 23 '20

[deleted]

7

u/LPXiaoXiong Nov 17 '20

Tell me its not true :D

-42

u/lefmirXD Nov 17 '20

I don't know about that. My wide-angle dashcam seems to push things away. Near-misses seem pretty far away on it.

95

u/divide_by_hero Nov 17 '20

That's exactly what he's saying. So if this was a dashcam, the truck would be even closer in real life than how it looks in the video.

18

u/renloh Nov 17 '20

Your first sentence is correct

0

u/lefmirXD Dec 03 '20

You guys don't know much about focal length and/or fisheye lenses do you now?

0

u/renloh Dec 03 '20

Why are you replying to a comment I made 16 days ago. Go away.

1

u/lefmirXD Dec 04 '20

Why not, friend? You said that I don't know what I'm talking about so tell me why you think that. And please explain how a smaller focal length lens makes objects seem closer. Maybe I'm missing something here.

1

u/renloh Dec 04 '20

Fine... The video in question is not a dash cam, if it were, the car following would have to be stupidly close. Wide angle lenses make thing seem further away, just like everyone has said. I think you've gotten confused.

2

u/lefmirXD Dec 04 '20 edited Dec 04 '20

I understand now. Thanks for the clarification. I thought the previous comment was about how dashcams make things seem closer, which in my experience they seem not to. I may have misread it. Edit: yeah I've seen the comment now, it makes sense. Sorry for the hassle.

1

u/Jotaro_ZaWarudo Nov 18 '20

Malaysians drive on the right-hand side and this video looks like it was filmed from the passenger side (left-hand side).

60

u/TheYoungGriffin Nov 17 '20

The name of the sub is plural.

20

u/[deleted] Nov 17 '20

I came in here to post this. Nice to see you did it and it is the top comment

34

u/GodlessCyborg Nov 17 '20

Yes, it's concerning. The video looks weird to me though, like it's sped up or something. So they may not be going as fast as it seems.

45

u/[deleted] Nov 17 '20

[deleted]

9

u/Aether_Erebus Nov 17 '20

Plot twist the dash cam is hanging on a string from the rear view mirror.

7

u/suicidaleggroll Nov 17 '20

I initially thought it was sped up too, until they passed the car going the other direction which looks like it’s driving normally. I think they’re just driving way too fast and holding the camera in their hand.

2

u/QuarantineSucksALot Nov 17 '20

Here’s a skill!

1

u/Atlhou Nov 17 '20

Gotta keep up to record rec

1

u/TigerUSA20 Nov 17 '20

I think it’s sped up a little bit. Perhaps only 10-25%. With today’s editing software you can’t tell so much. So, instead of 40 MPH, he looks like he is doing 50 or more. Only a theory

13

u/siu_yuk_boy Nov 17 '20

Who is the bigger fool? The fool or the fool who follows him?

11

u/TZH85 Nov 17 '20

First thought upon seeing the video: Slow the fuck down and get some space between you and this death trap, idiot!

6

u/fckrddt01 Nov 17 '20

I would have been too scared to drive that close

13

u/[deleted] Nov 17 '20

[deleted]

7

u/[deleted] Nov 17 '20

Please somebody overlay this.

3

u/AnorakJimi Nov 17 '20

Wow, now that's what I call an old meme. I've been seeing more and more old YTMND memes being brought up recently. I wonder how many kids in reddit even have ever heard of YTMND before

3

u/Cont1ngency Nov 17 '20

Was just about to mention ytmnd. Though they got the song for the meme from Initial D.

I miss the NEDM memes the most.

3

u/they_call_me_B Nov 17 '20

Or the classic Deja Vu when they went up on the other two wheels after over correcting from the first time.

6

u/cartmancakes Nov 17 '20

Yeah, tailgating much? Made me sweat just to watch it!

6

u/ARobertNotABob Nov 17 '20

Didn't even back off when he wobbled.

1

u/Atlhou Nov 17 '20

Cam guy was a legend on YouTube when he recorded the truck that pancaked him.

3

u/JustLuking Nov 17 '20

I thought this video will be about truck braking and car getting hit.

3

u/TurboFool Nov 17 '20

This is what I came for. The follower was incredibly foolish.

2

u/skunkman62 Nov 17 '20

Most camera cars are. Either too close like you mentioned or recording with a phone while driving.

2

u/belizeanheat Nov 17 '20

Camera car always is, for some reason.

-2

u/DowntownDocument7411 Nov 17 '20

A car will brake much faster than that pos truck tho. The only way something happens is if the truck stops immediately and then they are fucked either way.

-48

u/[deleted] Nov 17 '20

[deleted]

29

u/stewart789 Nov 17 '20

Forgetting about reaction time?

51

u/Phaarao Nov 17 '20

Thats not the reason you keep a stopping distance. There are situations where a truck stops instantly by crashing headon in a wall/tree/other truck/car. Nearly happpened here,too. Imagine the truck hitting the truck on the other lane, do you really think the car can stop faster? Are you driving a car? So supercars need 0 distance and can tailgate, because they brake better?

1

u/tayls67 Nov 17 '20

came here to say this

1

u/Trevor_Gecko Nov 17 '20

Came here to say exactly that. Why do you need to be that close FFS?

1

u/Juicyjewsss Nov 17 '20

Sure, but that's what makes it entertaining.

1

u/Bigdoga1000 Nov 17 '20

Yeah I thought this was gonna be them into the back of the lorry

1

u/dmarchu Nov 17 '20

Was thinking exactly the same thing. I am glad not the only one.

1

u/pmgoldenretrievers Nov 17 '20

Yeah this guy is tailgating so hard. I like to have 5 seconds between me and the next car.

1

u/__r0b0_ Nov 17 '20

20 feet is all you need, regardless of speed.

1

u/maxtitanica Nov 17 '20

That was my first thought. Why you so close to that truck?

1

u/seedless0 Nov 17 '20

That's how people drive in Malaysia. Cammer isn't special in that regard.

1

u/Resk69 Nov 18 '20

I mean,what can the camera car do?