gravity

The recent case of the run-away dump truck got me thinking about the possible
consequences of under-regulated heavy equipment transport on our narrow roads and steep
hills. The gravity of the situation is quite serious, literally. In the absence of traffic laws dealing
with new and unique vehicular challenges, the laws of physics become the regulators. And the
picture is not a pretty one.

Some years ago, I had to take a “safe-driver” course to avoid a traffic fine. These weekend
seminars are generally uninspiring snoozers, taught by bored, retired cops to convicted drunk-
drivers. Everybody wishes they were someplace else. But, one bit of information did stick in
my memory. During the chapter on why we should wear seatbelts, the instructor said, “Your
weight doubles for every ten miles an hour of speed you’re traveling.” We did the math, or
rather, the physics. If a two-hundred-pounder hits a brick wall at 30 mph, it’s like having a
sixteen hundred pound piano dropped on him. I hate when that happens.

Commercial truckers should be regulated by the Department of Transportation and big rigs
should be held to higher inspection standards than “Left signal, right signal, mash the brake!”
The reason is simple. The same physical laws apply to 20-ton dump trucks as to the rest of
us. Imagine the exponential impact of a load of blue bitch at 40 mph.

The phenomenal development of St. John requires the transportation of vast quantities of
material from one place to another. Dig out a hillside and that rock has to go somewhere.
Erect three-story condominiums and you need to pour a lot of concrete. I’m not the first
gadabout to comment on this subject. We’ve all had perilous moments on blind curves, Jacob’
s Ladder or Centerline Road. The truck that plowed the Suzuki into the schoolyard had a
lucky fellow behind the wheel. He could be facing homicide charges, had things gone slightly
differently.

Let’s follow the path of that runaway. The Texaco station could have gone out with a bang
and traffic circle construction could have gotten an early start. Several classy eateries
avoided demolition. Let’s not even imagine the consequences of a collision with the school.
The line in the bank might have moved a little faster. The church, where the beast was finally
halted, has stood there, unscathed, since 1720. We were fortunate.

We should not count on good luck. Random governance of action ensures regrettable
results. If traffic safety laws are not enforced, you can rest assured that the laws of gravity,
momentum and diminishing returns will be.

- Jeff Smith