Safe Driving with Driverthink

I was watching Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman on Discovery Channel’s “Mythbusters” the other night.  They answered a long standing question of mine.  How much damage can a “Gator” do?

“Okay.  What’s a Gator?”

We’re not talking reptiles with big teeth and tails here.  “Gator” is the common nickname for a piece of a tire tread that separates from the main part of the tire. You’ve probably seen them lying in or on the side of the road.  They’re usually associated with truck tires and more specifically truck tire retreads — but that’s a bit of a misconception.

Today’s retread tires are extremely reliable and very green.  It takes a lot less oil to make a retread than a brand new tire.   Their also a lot cheaper, which saves consumers some big bucks.

Associating Gators with trucks, however, probably is valid.  While one could argue that the average truck is better maintained than the average car, those big ole’ trucks do suffer different dynamics.  When truck tires are not maintained or if they’re abused, these dynamics can make them more prone to “throwing a Gator”.  These lovely “Gator” missiles can come from pealing retreads, or just as likely something called “tire separation,” but well – we’re starting to digress here.  Just didn’t want to insult any of our good trucker types — or the retread industry which, for the most part, does a great job of making a safe, environmentally friendly product.

So let’s get back to our subject.  Since Gators usually first present themselves on the highway rather than in a parking lot, and since I’m quite often on the highway with big ole’ truck type people, I often wondered just how much damage a Gator would do if one happened to peal off in front of me — and whack my little buggy.  I figured maybe a ding in the sheet metal at worst.

Wrong.

Jamie and Adam set up a cool little experiment, as they’re prone to do.  They jacked up a pickup truck, and then placed a trailer upside down underneath it so that the tires of the truck just met the tires of the upside down trailer.  Then they revved up the truck, put it in gear and started feeding Gators through the two tires at speed.  The Gators would catch between the two tires and fly out behind the experiment, mimicking a Gator coming off a big rig tire.

Now this was amusing, but it got much more interesting when they started aiming the Gator at things.  Specifically, they aimed it at a special dummy, set up in Mythbusters fashion to replicate the approximate consistency of the typical Homo sapiens and more specifically, its neck.  The neck, together with the other dummy body parts, was then placed behind your typical automobile window.

In goes the Gator.  Out flies the Gator.  Smashes through the car window and quite efficiently decapitates the dummy driver.  All at about forty miles per hour.  Wow!  Slightly more damage than a whack to the wagon.  This was a big, bad “ding to the dummy!  “The Gator got him.”

Now Driverthink is not an advocate of paranoia but then again, a healthy respect for reality does tend to keep us breathing longer.  Mythbusters gave us the reality.  How do we manage the paranoia?  More specifically, how do we avoid getting “gonged by a Gator”, which could involve both our car insurance and our life insurance?   It’s gotta' be about basics.

• Respect the Big Rigs – keep your distance.

• Don’t fear the truck.  But if you’re on the road with one, look it over.

• Always note the general condition of the rig.  Is it modern and/or well maintained?  If not, the likelihood of a Gator is greater.  Keep extra distance and pass it if you can.

• Always notice the Big Rig’s tires.  Are they running smoothly or do they have bumps and lumps I may want to shy further away from?

• How’s the Driver driving?  Is he a smooth professional, as are most?  Or is he a Cowboy who obviously has little concern for anything but his deadline.  If I’m looking at a poor driver, I’m probably also looking at one who doesn’t worry too much about abusing his tires.

• Hopefully, those double tires aren’t rubbing together or worse, smoking.  I’ve been known to waive over (or C a trucker if I see this, because sometimes the driver can’t.  It’s going to be a serious, possible, soon-to-be newspaper headline if the driver doesn’t realize the problem.

We don’t have to be paranoid about the Gator.  But, as with many other driving dangers, we kinda' want to be alert. 

After all the miles and all the trials, I really don’t want my obituary to read, “The Gator Got Him!”

Please Add your COMMENTS BELOW.  What do You Think?