"That Traffic Light is ONLY a Suggestion......"

Stuart Ablett

Member
Messages
15,917
Location
Tokyo Japan
I've told my kids that over and over, that red,green and yellow light does NOT stop cars, it is only a suggestion.....

Thankfully, no one was hurt. Next, next to my L shop is a wholesale butcher shop, one that starts with the entire side of beef. The guys there work hard, they make good money, nice family business. The park their delivery trucks on the street in front of their shop when they are loading, unloading and washing down the inside of the trucks. Today, around 6 PM they were done deliveries for the day and just about ready to start the clean up routine, the boss was walking out to the truck to move it forward a bit, and a car slammed into the back of the truck at speed..........

car_vs_truck_3.jpg car_vs_truck_4.jpg
The back corner of the truck.......

car_vs_truck_1.jpg car_vs_truck_2.jpg
The front corner of the car :eek:

The driver fell asleep at the wheel, he ran right through the stop light, which was red, about 50 feet before he hit the back of the truck. Thankfully, no one was hurt, the driver had his seatbelt on, and the airbags worked, but it could have been a LOT worse, most people who live in Tokyo NEVER look both ways before they cross the street, they seem to REALLY think that traffic light can stop a car, I maintain it is just a suggestion :D
In another few minutes there would have been 3 or 4 guys there washing the truck, or there certainly could have been someone in the crosswalk, the driver got really lucky on those points.

This is a good teaching moment for my kids, they are quite surprised to see this happen.

Stay safe, wear your seatbelts :wave:
 
Good reminder, Stu.

I have an appointment with the drivers license bureau on 3/12, another to get my bike endorsement and about the same time, pick up the Honda. It will be slow and steady on mostly side streets, with extra care at the intersections.
 
4 way stops don't mean much either. We have a bunch of them in the township with a smattering of 2 way stops mixed in. I've almost gotten nailed a few times at a 2way here when I didn't have a stop sign.

Folks get complacent and think they are at a 4 way and pull right out in front of you :huh:
 
Stu, I learned that lesson when I was about 5 or 6 and saw a man hit hard when he walked across the street about 6ft in front of my family and a car ran a red light and hit him....I had nightmares about it for awhile.
 
fell asleep at the wheel at 6pm!?

I have a good friend who 18 months later is still dealing with issues from a head injury sustained when she was struck (as a pedestrian) by someone who ignored/missed a traffic signal.

Drive safe! Walk Safe!
 
I can tell from the pics that part of the problem is the car driver was sitting on the wrong side of the car...the passenger seat. :D

Glad nobody was hurt. Any idea if the driver's sleepiness was aided by alcohol?
 
Nope, the guy was stone cold sober, I too had suspected that, but he was just sleepy, working long hours he said and driving a long ways, bad combo :doh:
 
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