Opinion ID: 1625947
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Trucks Should Keep 300 Feet Between Them

Text: Byrd claims that the granting of Instruction No. D-6 [2]  which stated restrictions on how close a motor truck could follow behind another as articulated in Miss. Code Ann. § 63-3-619 (1972)  was error because the instruction was an abstract statement of the law which was not applicable to the facts as developed in this case. Byrd also contends that D-6 (which Byrd calls an open road instruction) conflicts with D-5 (which he characterizes as an intersection instruction). This argument that D-6 conflicts with D-5  beyond being a grasping-at-straws objection  was not made at the trial court and thus should not be considered on this appeal. Rule 42, Miss.Sup.Ct.R. Similarly, the abstractness of Instruction D-6 was never raised at trial and should not be considered. In any event, the instruction is not improperly abstract. Byrd's argument that following distances are inapplicable to this case  since it involves a turn at an intersection  is simply an attempt to prevent the jury from considering whether sufficient distance existed between Smith and Byrd, when Smith executed his turn, so that Byrd was bound to respect the statutory following distances. One should recall that the real issue in the case is, whether Smith turned when Byrd was too close, or whether Byrd continued at high speed when a reasonable driver would have decelerated knowing that Smith was ahead of him. Byrd essentially wishes that the law were such that a driver who is already on a through highway is never required to reduce speed as it approaches a vehicle which has turned onto the highway. Byrd seems to be saying that if the approaching vehicle has to slow down to avoid collision, that vehicle is so close that the turning vehicle is negligent as a matter of law if it fails to await the passage of the approaching vehicle before turning. This clearly is not the law, but it is this interpretation of the law upon which Byrd must rely to save his case. The assignment of error is rejected.