Only Clowns Drive Packed Circus Cars - Houston Personal Injury ...

At around 10:00 pm, on the evening of Saturday, August 4^th, ten people, including four children and six adults, were injured in a pick-up truck rollover accident on Lee Road near Greens Road. Police report that the pick-up's driver ran a red light, while traveling north on Lee Road, and the truck was t-boned by a car traveling west on Greens. The pick-up veered instantly out of control, flipped and rolled several times, before ending up in a ditch. The truck was packed with nine people, all of whom were injured and had to be taken to an area hospital in stable condition. The children, who were all passengers in the heavily damaged truck, ranged in age from two months, to 12-years-old. The car's passenger was also injured. Police arrested the pick-up's driver after he received medical treatment.

I haven't been to a circus in decades; but, when I was little, they would often feature a small, brightly colored car of some sort, which would putter into the center ring; and after it stopped, a whole bunch of tiny clowns would pile out of the doors, in goofy costumes and giant shoes, and start running every which way. There would be so many of the little guys tumbling out that it was impossible to imagine how they all got in there in the first place! That was hilarious at the circus every time I saw it. But, reprising such a stunt on a public road or highway, when people, including little kids, are put at risk of severe injury or even death is not the least bit funny. Instead, it's annoying and unbelievably foolish. And as this pick-up driver is about to find out, it can lead to some gigantic problems.

The dangers of, and complications arising from, overloading a vehicle are actually quite significant. Before considering the physical aspects thereof, a look at the legal aspects are, by themselves, sobering. First, driving an overloaded vehicle is illegal; so the driver risks a ticket if stopped; and in the event of an accident, the driver will be almost certainly at fault. All vehicles come with a maximum load limit, usually posted on a metal plate inside one of the doors. Exceeding that limit is negligence. And that really matters because all vehicle insurance policies have provisions which void coverage for law violations, as well as for uses which fall outside of the "normal" and "expected". So, if you stuff the vehicle, grossly exceeding its rated capacity, you are violating the law, exposing yourself to a ticket, incurring responsibility for any accident, and voiding your insurance. In other words, doing it is risky at best and just plain stupid at worst.

Setting aside the legal and insurance implications, automotive experts state that the following mechanical problems occur to vehicle when it is overloaded, regardless of whether the extra weight comes from passengers or cargo:

?1. The vehicle will be less stable, which makes it sluggish and more difficult to steer and will require far longer stopping, in both time and distance. Also, the vehicle's center of gravity will shift, making rollovers more likely. Finally, the vehicle's crumple zone will collapse faster, increasing vehicle damage and occupant risk ;

?2. Tires will rapidly overheat, substantially increasing the possibility of tread separation and failure, or blowouts;

?3. Typically, the driver's personal space will be compacted, causing loss of full visibility, ability to steer properly, and proper access to instruments and controls;

?4. Acceleration will diminish considerably, which can compromise normal driving habits, the ability to accurately judge distances, and the ability to properly maneuver the vehicle in crisis situations;

?5. Overloading will shift how the vehicle rides on its chassis. This will cause the back end to sag, and the front to tilt, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of the headlights and creates dead spots;

?6. Brakes can quickly overheat, given the heavier load, possibly leading to brake locking or failure;

?7. Invariably, excess passengers means several will have no available seat belt;

?8. The suspension system will be at critical limits, making the possibility of spring or shock absorber failure, and loss of steering control, much more likely;

?9. Fuel consumption will sky-rocket, coolants will heat, and the engine, transmission, and brakes will all experience increased wear.

Finally, from the standpoint of public safety, overloading a vehicle causes damage to pavements, overpasses and bridges, which adds to taxpayer expense, and to the inconvenience occasioned to all drivers from more frequent construction and repair of these public items. Additionally, the excess wear on the engine increases heat, reduces efficiency, requires more fuel and oil, and adds to pollution. Therefore, taking all of these consequences into consideration, it's almost impossible to justify such selfish and irresponsible conduct. Even if you are tempted "just this once" to over-pack or over-load your vehicle, please reconsider; as the saying goes, take an aspirin and lie down until the goofy mood passes. You are risking disaster to those you love; you are creating mechanical and legal hassles you can certainly do without; and you are generating unnecessary risk and cost to others.

Continue reading: http://www.khou.com/news/local/5-children-4-adults-injured-in-rollover-crash-165059996.html

Source: http://www.houstontxpersonalinjurylawyer.com/2012/08/only-clowns-drive-packed-circus-cars.shtml

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