Anyone who has driven by a runaway truck ramp has probably contemplated what it must be like to careen your out of control 18-wheeler off a highway and up a mountainside. Steve Staeger set out to learn how often these ramps are used, and what happens after the truck goes flying up.
Here is some more info on how they work.
Truck escape ramps are used as a traffic tool on steep, sustained grades to check high vehicle speeds in emergencies. The ramps use a combination of momentum-halting media like gravel or sand and an incline to bring runaway vehicles to a halt.
