Article June 9, 1997 Issue

Safety in paradise

Peter James Wilson

Once I was taking my wife and new baby son on holiday, traveling south, down the coastal highway toward Brisbane in Australia. It was dark, as the sun had set, and we had caught up to a cyclone, which had been preceding us down the coast.

After we had moved into the influence of this storm, a large prime mover [semitrailer, or tractor-trailer truck], towing a refrigeration rig, overtook us. The wind, which I was steering against, was suddenly blocked by the prime mover. This reduction in wind pressure against our small van required an adjustment in the way I was steering. Everything happened so quickly, however, that before I could do anything about it, the van speared off the road.

I tried to counter this move, but the van then swung back toward the rig. Washed-out road shoulders bumped one front wheel into the air, allowing the storm winds to lift both front tires above the road. The wind threw the front of our van toward the rig. In my mind I yelled, "God, I'm in trouble. What do I do?" The answer came as clear guidance on how to steer. I obeyed, almost automatically.

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