What happens when a driver is forced to use a runaway truck ramp?

Last week's crash on I-70 has a lot of people wondering about runaway truck ramps. Steve Staeger set out to learn how often these ramps are used, and what happens after the truck goes flying up.


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[quattro]

Good thing it was just a Bud Lite Truck. It could have been Beer or something.

[secret.]

No matter how expensive the repairs, still cheaper than someone's life.

[reneebevere]

$4000 is a small price to pay on a human's life I think the runaway truck ramps are priceless

[patriciakuharski]

I’ve witnessed a runaway ramp be used by a truck before. It was the loudest, scariest thing ever! I cannot imagine what the drivers go through.

[peterschwab]

I’d rather pay the $4, 000 than have the injury or death of other drivers hanging over me.

[rollin]

They shouldn't get charged at all its Tax payers Money and the driver is saving lives .

[rogersmith]

Funny that they're so focused on the costs involved. Few thousand dollars vs... likely multiple fatalities when that truck plows into a few family wagons.

[jafful]

I learned from old hands how to come down mountains on I-70 when fully loaded. And I just went down it last week. You keep yourself in a lower gear, like 8th or 7th speed if you’re a 10 speed, and put the engine break on the highest setting. If the speed limit for semis is 40 or 35 miles per hour, keep it keep it 5 or 10 mph below it. As the downgrade forces you to go faster, bring it back down 5 or 10 mph beneath the speed limit. This way, you’ll never burn your brakes out. It’s a LOT easier to slow 40k lbs down 5 mph, than it is to slow it down 50 or even 30 mph. And before people correct me, automatic semis do have a manual transmission toggle.

I shake my head when I see semis coming down the mountains 15 or 20 mph faster than me. They’re really playing with fire. It’s certainly not as sexy to sit there with your flashers on in the slow lane moving like a pregnant sow, but you will come down safely that way. My dad gave me a piece of advice when he was teaching me how drive a car that I have never forgot: “you have all the time in the world compared to getting into an accident.”

[HowdyFolksGaming]

Today I learned that runaway truck ramps are a thing that exist.

[vonvonhussein]

100% of us didn’t search this but 100% of us enjoyed learning something new

Edit- Damn, y’all mad asf 🤬
Alright 99% crybaby mfs 😭🤡

[darrenr]

I’ve never seen a runaway truck ramp in my entire life

[alanmorris]

Those ramps need to be on every mountain highway in the United States. They will definitely save lives.

[ZenFox]

I’ve always been curious about that.

It must be terrifying to drive a loaded rig in the mountains and realize you’re losing your brakes.

[DanielBowens]

That’s a big ass ramp compared to the ones in mountains around here. Around here they maybe like 100feet long but they get got these big ass bumps in them.

[tokinGLX]

i spent a large chunk of my 40 year old life living in denver and have travelled many a time on i70. never once did i see one of the ramps in use, but on multiple occasions i saw nearly fresh tracks from it having been used. i always pictured of how legitimately frightening it must be for the driver to have to use one.

[LeeDfined]

As a 14.5 year Greyhound vet, the key is to establish your down coasting speed ahead of the curve. All the cars and trucks behind my bus would get mad, but I would Jake down to about 60, then do a combination of Jake and service breaks to get down to 55. And I would never let my bus go higher than 60 until almost the end of mountain then I would let it run free. The problem is a lot of truck drivers are arrogant and want to be seen so they fly down the mountains at the speed of light. You have to get control before the downgrade.

[WKZworks]

Far better to have it and not need it rather then to not have it when you desperately need it.

[IfbbProRolandcHazard]

Old saying, I'd rather have and not need, then to need and not have.

[RayMak]

These ramps are crucial for saving lives

[KyleC]

Even if it is used only once, it is still worth it. The value of a human life is priceless