The danger of being blown over simply by the strength of the wind (yesterday) is/was miniscule. I think what’s more likely to happen is there’s gusts, which push the truck out of its lane, then the driver tries to correct it but mishandles it so some kind of “pilot induced oscillation” occurs and what was a couple of feet deviation becomes a rollover or a collision with something else.
Going slower gives more time to correct the effects of a gust without loss of control.
Yes,I can see how that could happen.
I was worried as well,if I got blown over and it landed on the drivers side,would I be able to open the passenger door upwards and what if it caught fire…
Probably the same as you’d do if it landed on the passenger side but the other way around I imagine.
I think I’d try for the front screen. Something sharp in a corner to crack it, then some really hard kicks with both feet, with my back firmly pressed on the seat. Or, if the electric windows still work, opening it then climbing out. I’d be leaving my stuff if it were on fire too, except my USB-C to Lightning phone cable, they cost a fortune!
Haha,yes.but the winscreen,when I was at asda,someone threw a house brick at one of the trucks.Even though he was travelling at 56mph,it only left a small scratch.Since I heard that,I never had any hope of being able to smash the front windscreen in an emergency
If you end up in a truck that is lying on its side and even if you are uninjured I doubt very much anyone would have the strength or the purchase necessary to open the “top” door. Even more problematic as if it’s lying on the passenger side is the possibility of further injury caused by simply releasing your seatbelt.
I seem to remember that Mercs came with a kind of toffee hammer thing that had a pointed end designed for smashing the windscreen. It also had a seatbelt cutter incorporated in case you couldn’t physically press the release button.
The volvo sunroof has an emergency release pull which pops it out.
No,we dont have anything on our mercs to break the window or the belt.I’ll just have to hope I never get blown over
When I was a drivers mate…
In the early 80s on heavy haulage, my outstanding memory when we rolled over with some concrete beams on a dolly was, both ashtrays emptying out making the cab look like a Christmas nativity scene. The portable telly flying off the bunk and smashing was also quite unforgettable.
Francaise makes some interesting points, but doesn’t quite hit the mark. In talking about curtain sides, they are actually sucked over, not blown. To look at a worse case scenario, that of a full but lightly loaded trailer, you first have to appreciate that the wind virtually never blows at a right angle to either the side or the end. This means it blows onto a corner, and flows around the vehicle.
Now picture in your mind a birds eye view of the vehicle. A high pressure area is created on the windward side, which tries to blow the curtain in. But because it’s loaded, it will lie flat against the load. Even if empty the posts will tend to keep the curtain somewhat flat.
But because curtains aren’t airtight it will pressurise the inside, bowing outwards the Lee side curtain. Now go back to the birds eye view and you’ll see the air has a longer path around the lee side than the windward side. This creates a low pressure area, and is how the airfoil of an aircraft wing generates lift. Only this ‘wing’ generates lift on its side and will ‘■■■■’ the vehicle over.
Box trailers can suffer from this effect to a degree depending on construction, but not containers. Flats are largely immune depending on what’s on them. So are road barrels and drop tanks.
Good idea.I have to buy one of those
Sploom:
Good idea.I have to buy one of those
Or a welders hammer with the pointy bit on one side.
It was windy Wednesday night, glad I was at home 
Think it’s just down to experience and what you’re happy with. I’m a lot more confident in those kind of conditions now than when I started. Used to proper ■■■■ myself
Like someone said I don’t think there’s a lot you can do, if it’s going to go it’s going to go just hope for the best 
Go hard or go home!
Star down under.:
Go hard or go home!
the maoster:
Probably the same as you’d do if it landed on the passenger side but the other way around I imagine.
Don’t all trucks have an emergency exit through the sunroof? Every truck I’ve driven did.
Star down under.:
Go hard or go home!
Pretty much.
stu675:
the maoster:
Probably the same as you’d do if it landed on the passenger side but the other way around I imagine.Don’t all trucks have an emergency exit through the sunroof? Every truck I’ve driven did.
My 22 plate MAN doesn’t. However I reckon that the sunroof would be far easier to kick through than the windscreen. Depending on the drivers waist size of course! And always assuming that the air kit doesn’t cover the sun roof too.
If a brick travelling at 56 mph cant break the windscreen,I cant imagine that tiny hammer breaking it,but if you say it does,OK,fair enough.Still a good idea to carry it
