50 Cent Hospitalized After Being Hit by Semi: Does Driving Around Big Rigs Make You Nervous?

by SodaHead Celebs Posted 2012/06/26 19:00:00

Related Topics: 50 Cent, Celebrity Pictures, Semi, big rig, mack truck

616 votes
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	Yes	395 votes	64%
	No	221 votes	36%

Rapper 50 Cent (né Curtis Jackson) was hospitalized on Tuesday after being involved in a car accident. According to his official website, Jackson's bullet-proof Chevy Suburban was rear-ended by a Mack Truck driven by a 61-year-old man. Lindsay Lohan also collided with a semi a few weeks ago, but that was her fault. There was nothing 50 Cent could do about this one.

Jackson's SUV nearly flipped over on impact, but fortunately he and his driver escaped with minor injuries. The man responsible for the accident claims the load in his truck shifted and caused him to lose control of the vehicle, just as traffic suddenly slowed ahead of him. 50 Cent was placed on a stretcher and transported to a Queens hospital, where he was treated for back and neck injuries.

+27

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toosweet 2012/06/26 19:58:52

No

+18
I drive a "big rig" semi for a living,some people have no respect for our size and the amount of weight we are hauling,there should be no need for people to be nervous as long as you remember we can not always see you and we need allot more room to stop than you.So don't hang out along side us and do not cut in front of us and you will be fine..usually.
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Justin ... to Apache 2012/06/27 23:35:05

It's a damn shame. I find our government embarrassing.

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Lucy Pannell 2012/06/27 18:18:38

Yes

+3
I try to not be in their blind spot and if in the blind spot, I try to not be in it long. When passing them I watch their tires to be sure they aren't drifting into my lane.

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ruffles 2012/06/27 18:07:51

Yes

+3
I could say yes, and no. It is all about who is behind the wheel, no matter the Vehicle! One of my sons was a long-haul trucker for 25 yrs. He never had an accident/or caused 1.

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dadej 2012/06/27 17:54:20

No

+2
Without big rigs there is no need to go shopping as there would be NO stores.

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exhon2009 2012/06/27 17:51:01

No

+2
You have to keep an eye on them and have an escape route. I'm guessing the trucking company will face more than .50 in liability.

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MrsB 2012/06/27 17:38:25

No

+3
Driving around big rigs doesn't make me nervous ... my husband is a truck driver. I think that a lot of the problem with people's nervousness is the fact that they don't understand a few things ... like the fact that trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. That's a lot of weight behind them and if they have to slam on the breaks because a car swerves in front of them, the stopping time is almost a full football field ... and then the fact that they have serious blind spots - if you can't see the drivers face in their side mirror, then they can't see you!!

These are things that should be taught to kids when they are getting their license ... I think that both of these issues wouldn't be as big of issues if people were aware.

Remember people, there are always bad drivers ... cars, trucks, cops, ambulances, motorcycles ... it's not always the truckers fault!

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Apache to MrsB 2012/06/27 23:05:14

That would be 90,000 lbs. or even more with a special permit.

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Elizabeth 2012/06/27 17:35:39

Yes

+2
They are the hammer and you are the nail.

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Loneseer 2012/06/27 17:28:17

Yes

+1
I've seen a few rig and car wrecks for real and they are scary because the car always loses, BIG TIME. I don't like them behind me and when I'm following one, I have a lot of respect and give them the benefit of the doubt when they turn corners or let them go first.

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unicorns vs narwhals 2012/06/27 17:27:49

No

+6
But driving around 50 cent or Lindsay Lohan would make me nervous.

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Justin ... to unicorn... 2012/06/27 18:40:42

Touché

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Taxman 2012/06/27 17:13:34 (edited)

Yes

+3
I live in a very windy part of the country, and you should see the wind pushing the trucks around the lane and over the line (Mother Nature's fault, not the driver). I have had a truck 2 feet off my bumper at 75 mph.....heavy traffic...everyone was boxed in together. If I would have touched the brakes, I would have been hit. So yes, I get nervous around big trucks, but not because of the drivers. I am naturally a defensive driver.

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Ron in Oregon 2012/06/27 17:08:59

No

+4
There was a bicyclist in Portland a few weeks ago and thought she could just ride up next to a big rig on his right side while the big rig was making a right turn.
All trucks have a notice on them.....THIS VEHICLE MAKES WIDE RIGHT TURNS.
Please heed this obvious notice.
This was the last mistake this woman made.

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Buzzymuzzwelle 2012/06/27 16:56:03

Yes

+4
Yes. The new regulations placed on Truckers by our Govt. Make it hard for truckers to make a decent living. Many Truckers have to take on more than they should just to make ends meet. A good Trucker is worth his/her weight in plutonium. However there are a lot of People out there who are NOT qualified to drive a shopping cart let alone a truck. Buzzy

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Kozmo 2012/06/27 16:54:33

No

+3
I ride a motorcycle but have no problem around competent drivers. 50 Cent's case is not cut & dried. Have to see if the load shift was from negligence before judging the driver.

Thanks to a couple of B-trains for running interference in moose country at night around Lake Superior.

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exhon2009 to Kozmo 2012/06/27 17:54:19

+1
Must feel like a running back behind four 300 pound linemen.

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Kozmo to exhon2009 2012/06/27 22:07:40

+1
While riding in the B train's wake my gas mileage went up. But nothing to do except watch his back end in the fog until you get to a town.

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Jennifer Bourne 2012/06/27 16:23:16

Yes

+3
Yes, but only to the point that I try to be cautious and remember they have trouble seeing me.

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janine 2012/06/27 16:16:02

Yes

+3
Yes they do kind of but my reason is personal. I pulled out in front of one a long time ago and was broad sided. My car was wrapped around the front of the semi..& pushed down the street. I don't know how I survived but my seat when out the passenger door --my seat belt which was on broke..obviously at the right time..when the seat was being pushed out the other door. I had a broken arm and some major bruising around me hips where the belt had been. I know I was lucky but those trucks are very powerful and most times you don't get a second chance.

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Quinni 2012/06/27 16:15:17

No

+1
The way other people drive around big rigs makes me nervous. People forget that the driver may be carrying a heavy load and my not be able to stop in time if you cut them off. Not saying 50-cent did, but someone else may have done something to cause it. There's a certain courtesy that has been forgotten not only between cars and trucks, but also between cars and back roads - treating it like a personal short cut. Although I have seen a few big trucks do 50 in a 25 on a back road, but they are few. People who also drive their SUV, van, or pickup truck like a sedan are also in for a rude awakening.

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John T. 2012/06/27 16:08:24

Yes

+3
I give them the upmost respect and as much distance as possible. Remember that the inertia of a truck at highway speeds need more time and distance to stop. NEVER tailgate a big rig. First he can’t see you and second yoy are putting your life in jeopardy.

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Kozmo to John T. 2012/06/27 17:01:55

+1
I've tail-gated a couple of B-trains (two trailers, easier wake) while going through moose country at night but I was on a motorcycle so I have an edge in the brakes department & this was open highway.

But beware of getting behind one making a turn at a light, that's where John got it right.

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John T. to Kozmo 2012/07/08 12:15:18

Motorcycles are worse than cars. You may think you have an edge over a car but you don’t. When you take into consideration of the tires and weight deference, the car has the edge. A Motorcycle is like a rock being thrown from a sling shot. It has less stopping power at higher speeds. I have a Motorcycle brother that has the broken bones to prove it.

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Kozmo to John T. 2012/07/08 14:57:24

When it comes to curves, the Corvette has the edge. Also, you need to have some practice with your brakes. I'm my case, I was about 50 yards behind B-trains on Dry Roads. Been riding for 30 years, nothing worse than road rash & a sore wrist. Was your brother YAHOO-ing it? I Don't.

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John T. to Kozmo 2012/09/09 16:37:10

+1
I hope you wear a helmet and face protection. Hospitals have a name for people that don’t wear helmets and ride motor bikes. They call them “Organ Donors.”

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Kozmo to John T. 2012/09/10 17:48:30

Have rode 30 years year-round in Vancouver & Toronto, still intact & the only time I couldn't ride after 'mishaps' is when the clutch lever broke (maybe on the highway to reach town but not within, wreck the tranny).

Heard of a name for open-front helmets: FACE ERASERS.

You can find Old Riders & You can find Bold riders but you almost never find Old Bold riders (Evel Knievel maybe, but he didn't street-stunt).

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John T. to Kozmo 2012/09/16 13:42:52

I read an article on motorcycle helmet’s about 40 years ago. In the article they reported on the safety factor of the full-face helmet. They took a 12 gauge shotgun with 00 buckshot at 10 feet and fired at it. The face shield and helmet survived quite well. The helmet system used in the test was manufactured by “Bell”. I say that the argument for or against helmet use is clear. The one thing that a helmet can’t protect you from is the soft tissue hitting inside the skull. Ride safe.

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Kozmo to John T. 2012/09/16 19:44:33 (edited)

Bell's a good make, have tougher standards on visors than opticians can measure. They fire a half-inch ball bearing at it at 120mph, it must NOT distort enough to touch the face. The shell's designed to keep impacts below 400G, that's when the cranial pudding gets twisted like taffy.
Crank your throttle but keep fingers quick for the brake lever.

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John T. to Kozmo 2012/09/23 12:32:55

+1
The point of the article, at the time, was to illustrate the need and safety factor of face shield and helmets in protecting the operator from flying debris like rocks.
If you can come up with a system to protect the fluid mass inside the skull, you cam make a fortune. Good luck trying.

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Ryan 2012/06/27 16:07:23

No

+4
Nervous no.

Cautious yes.

They don't stop quickly, and generally when something goes wrong it goes really wrong.

I avoid riding in their blind spots, and avoid riding beside them for any length of time at speed.

I've had far more bad experiences with idiots in little cars than big rigs.

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Lefty 2012/06/27 16:02:33

Yes

They are intusive on the highway!

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Zuggi 2012/06/27 15:23:41 (edited)

Yes

+3
I almost got sideswiped by a 18 wheeler when driving home from drivers ed when I was 15 (parent in car natch). I was in a Volkswagen Rabbit, so the sheer physics meant I was dead if I hadn't swerved into the next lane. I hadn't yet learned the basics of dealing with 18 wheelers, so I had been driving on its right, pretty much matching its speed.

I've learned to take healthy precautions since then. So I'm not really scared of them, but certainly cautious. Thankfully most truckers are experienced and safe, but everyone makes mistakes and a trucker making a mistake is far more dangerous than a Honda making a mistake.

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Cleaver62 2012/06/27 15:23:07 (edited)

No

+2
No! I have been a truck driver for almost 25 years and I have never been involved in an accident while driving. Oh, I have had some close calls because the idiot drivers in cars like to cut me off in traffic. They like to rabbit off the line from a red light then cut in front of me so they can turn right. Let me tell you something.... it takes a lot to stop a truck, even at 5 or 10 miles an hour, we can not stop on a dime like you can in your little tiny vehicle. And another thing... if you do ever want to wrestle with a 18 wheeler, you and your car are going to lose every time.

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Frenchi Le~ann 2012/06/27 15:20:50

Yes

+1
O-O alot!!

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jcadla 2012/06/27 15:17:23 (edited)
Kozmo to jcadla 2012/06/27 17:05:06 (edited)

Bone up on your Physics. Especially INERTIA.

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Ron in ... to jcadla 2012/06/27 17:17:48

I was driving home from Indiana a few years ago and a big rig passed me, I was doing 80 MPH and guess what. Just as he got his rear wheels next to my drivers window he blew his inside dual. Damn I was glad it was the inside one.

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tinaje 2012/06/27 15:14:45

No

+2
It's the Driver not the vehicle.

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Kozmo to tinaje 2012/06/27 17:06:38

With the exception being mechanical problems unforeseen.

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Deirdra 2012/06/27 15:04:26

Yes

+1
I almost got hit by one on my driving test. He let his signal blink once and started getting over. I barely had time to slam my breaks to get out of his way of his back tires. If I hadn't had noticed we would have been in the median or on the other side of the highway. It was one of the scariest things to ever happen to me.

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