Wednesday morning, 2/20/08, a tractor trailer on I-285 failed to stop for slowing traffic, struck a car, and pushed it into the rear of another tractor trailer. This happened near the intersection of I-20 where there is often a long line of tractor trailers backed up waiting to transition from I-285 to I-20.  The driver of the car was killed. See the Atlanta Journal Constitution article by Mike Morris.  Proper speed and space management, and maintenance of driver alertness, are essential to safe operation of interstate motor carriers. 

Ken Shigley is a trucking and product safety trial attorney based in Atlanta.