truck accidents in the 70s and 80s

Back in the day, there were a lot fewer trucks(and cars) on the road. For those that find numbers interesting: http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/large-trucks/fatalityfacts/large-trucks, so much for the 1AM - 5AM BS. In spite of these numbers, there ARE more accidents now than there were then, simply due to the exponential increase in the number of trucks(and cars).

 

I'm sure there were more wrecks back in the old days and many were pretty dramatic. Trucks were ungoverned and being driven by fatigued drivers and many of us taking stay-awake pills which could be bought at most truck stops either from some person hanging around or a waitress.

 

I have been driving since the early eightys and I don't remember a lot of wrecks back then but we really wouldn't have any way of hearing about them.
Take for example if there was a bad wreck in California and some one was killed, we wouldn't hear about it unless it was on the national nightly news.
Back then there was no internet and no cell phones so up to the minute information was really scarce.

 

Dumber.

 

Chinatown is right. I don't remember coming across too many, and the internet brings it to our living room now. I know for a fact, there were rarely major pileups. That just blows me away, how people just run into the back of one another, like sheep. Most were 1 truck accidents, drivers falling asleep.

 

So this really a 'new breed' thread?

 

^^^^ no, not really. Just didn't have people filming everything. There has been ######### ever since they invented trucks!

 

I can honestly say I never saw anything like you described above.
Most drivers back then were brought up thru trucking family's so most had a ton of experience before they got there chauffeurs licence.
Also most all owner operators wore spotless clean jeans, western shirts and cowboy boots.
Most all company drivers wore full out company uniforms.
Over the road trucks were kept spotless with a total sense of pride.
There were no multi colored or cracked hoods running around either.
If damage occurred it was repaired to original quickly because companys took pride in there company image and equipment.