I-80 in WY

[Onepoint]

I-80 where it goes through WY, especially the western half is probably the worst interstate in the country for closures, seems like in the winter its closed more than open some weeks on a particular stretch, so much so there is talk of rerouting it. 

That's bad enough, and then this happens.


https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/02/14/huge-explosions-multiple-fatalities-from-fiery-crash-in-green-river-tunnel/

Not a lot of tunnels on it being mostly open country, but there are a couple, one is relatively long near Green River WY, and had an accident in it with a fire,  multiple vehicles involved, and I hear its bad, 2 confirmed fatalities on the outside of it already.

 You can see the smoke from both ends

[cvasqu03]

Wow, that looks bad.  It looks like it might even be a suffocation danger just to be in there at that point.  It's hard to understand just how bad it really is to breathe under those circumstances unless you've actually been in a fire.

[Danjal]

Speaking from experience, it's a I-80 thing for the closures. PA closes I-80 if they think they saw snow in the last 48 hours. Wrecks and fires are kinda common on I-80. Meanwhile on I-90, NYDOT will keep the road open in -30 degree weather while it's coming down at the rate of 3' an hour with the mantra of "Stupid enough to drive, stupid enough to die" and just let you have at it.

[Onepoint]

Used to be that's how it was here, the problem is the amount of stupid drivers has increased to where the accidents shut it down as soon as conditions get dicey and not the run off the road kind wrecks the semi slams into the back of of cars and other semis kind of mess.  Volume is up, GPS is relied on more and a its made a lethal combination.

So far as I heard this morning, no more deaths, but 5 people with severe injuries reported.

[Danjal]

Used to be that's how it was here, the problem is the amount of stupid drivers has increased to where the accidents shut it down as soon as conditions get dicey and not the run off the road kind wrecks the semi slams into the back of of cars and other semis kind of mess.  Volume is up, GPS is relied on more and a its made a lethal combination.

Post covid drivers are some of the worst I've ever seen in my entire life. Young, old, middle aged, all of them are so busy looking at screens instead of driving. Half of me wants self-driving cars to become the norm to stop their stupidity as they're typically the laziest out of the mess, and the other half of me fears the mess that'll end up being the data and standardization fight that'll ensue for the tech.

[Onepoint]

I don't know if true or not that foreign nationals driving for trucking companies is increased, or so I hear the complaints, but I do know some of our biggest wrecks in recent history started from one of these people making some very poor decisions driving a 60000 lb rig.  We had a multi car pileup a couple years ago in the winter on I-80 east a little ways of where this was from a Mexican driver who just stopped his rig in the middle to highway in poor visibility.

Driving skill isn't the only thing since covid that declined with people in general.

[thresher_593]

We get all our deliveries by truck and it seems like a lot of the drivers are non-English speaking. They must have GPS system that speak Spanish cause they no speak da English.

Driving skills have deteriorated badly. Seems like no one uses turn signals anymore. Apparently they can't read speed limit signs either. We have construction on I-70 thru town. Construction zone so they have lighted signs and the speed limit is 55, 50 when they're actually working. We're seeing cars going 80-85 in the zone. I know a guy that got caught going 84 in the 55 zone and he got smart with the judge. His kids won't be celebrating Christmas this year.

People think they're bullet proof till they take a bullet.

[Danjal]

I don't know if true or not that foreign nationals driving for trucking companies is increased, or so I hear the complaints, but I do know some of our biggest wrecks in recent history started from one of these people making some very poor decisions driving a 60000 lb rig.  We had a multi car pileup a couple years ago in the winter on I-80 east a little ways of where this was from a Mexican driver who just stopped his rig in the middle to highway in poor visibility.

Driving skill isn't the only thing since covid that declined with people in general.

It's not even them, the mentality is a lost cause among the current and younger generations as trucking requires patience and thinking ahead, not instant glorification and tailgating. These folks simply aren't driving a car where the vehicle can react fast, preparing for the inevitable (thanks to idiot drivers) must be done before they screw up (and they will, many times over during even a short day) before someone is hurt, killed, or property is damaged. The naivety, lack of a proper mind set, and their constant need for instant gratification (constant distraction) don't make them good candidates for new drivers.

By law you need to be a citizen or a permanent resident to even obtain a CDL. Naturally some less than other folks lie or run CDL mills where they offer fake licenses. It's sad, but the politician's policies made a criminal enterprise that caters to those that shouldn't be here legally. This problem has been ongoing for decades, not just after covid sadly. Both parties have been kicking the can down the road and we're just now getting around to cleaning the mess up.

[JimmyJamesKY]

Everybody is on the damn phone in my neck of the woods, and think traffic signals are just suggestions.  The wife and I when on the way home from a bar, uh restaurant last night in down town. I was going 25 in a 25, when a cat blew by me crossing the double yellow. Then a police car blew by me and lit him up. I'm sure he was drinking, there isn't much open in downtown late at night

[Danjal]

Everybody is on the damn phone in my neck of the woods, and think traffic signals are just suggestions.  The wife and I when on the way home from a bar, uh restaurant last night in down town. I was going 25 in a 25, when a cat blew by me crossing the double yellow. Then a police car blew by me and lit him up. I'm sure he was drinking, there isn't much open in downtown late at night

I hope that wasn't a black cat for you otherwise you just got some bad luck.

[JimmyJamesKY]

I tried to type car lol. The black cat must have been in the car that passed me, cuz he is having bad luck. I guess it's really more bad stupid than bad luck. It's not like I was crawling,  just going the speed limit. They passed me like I was sitting still. If your going 50 in a 25 downtown on a Friday night on Valentines Day, you're not unlucky,  you're a dumb ass.

I'd say dui, speeding and wreckless driving are not the way to celebrate true 😍

[Onepoint]

Finally an update, 26 vehicles involved, 3rd confirmed fatality.

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/02/16/third-fatality-confirmed-in-green-river-tunnel-crash-26-vehicles-involved/

[JimmyJamesKY]

Damn!  That's the worst crash I've seen in a while.  26 vehicles involved.  Yikes.

I didn't catch the cause, other than "collision" which led to an explosion. We get the occasional pile up when there's heavy fog.

[Onepoint]

Looks like the media has tuned into the claim of foreigners relation to accidents.  FWIW, and as far as I know didn't have anything to do with the cause in this case, one of the deaths was a Canadian licensed truck driver.

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/02/28/with-trucking-fatalities-on-the-rise-some-blame-drivers-who-cant-read-english/

"Data from the National Safety Council shows fatal crashes involving large trucks rising consistently starting in 2016, from about 4,500 in the nation that year to 5,837 in 2022."

"Shannon Everett, co-founder of trucker advocacy group American Truckers United, said 2016 was a pivotal year for deadly truck crash statistics.

That was the year the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a memorandum telling safety inspectors not to suspend commercial drivers for failing to communicate well in English.

The guidance is despite a federal rule that still says a person shall not drive a commercial vehicle unless he can converse with the general public, understand highway traffic signs and signals in English, respond to official inquiries and enter his own reports.

Since they've told everyone to stand down, no longer enforcing that when they issue the license these drivers are just being let go, Everett told Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday. And because of that they've become emboldened. We have a flood of (non-English-speaking) drivers entering the United States.

The dramatic rise in fatal truck crashes has risen since the memo was issued, Everett noted even as the industry adopts more safety measures like dash cameras, collision mitigation systems and driver-facing cameras.

That was the year the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a memorandum telling safety inspectors not to suspend commercial drivers for failing to communicate well in English."

[Danjal]

The US and Canada let each other in/out loads in the others country. IE we can get a load in the US, drop it Canada, then we can pick up another load going back to the US. But at no point can we run a Canada (pickup) to Canada (Drop) load. Needless to say, it's a point of contention among US and Canadian truckers with folks saying that they're losing jobs somehow.