California highways and Semi Trucks... what's the rules?

[sfsuphysics]

So coming back today I swerve to miss this huge metal infested tire that apparently came off a truck... ok fine.

Well not 3 minutes later there's the truck it came off of, smoking like hell from the tire that came off with piece of other tire stuff still flying off... He didn't pull over immediately and my g/f said maybe he's just trying to get to the next exit... which he did and didn't stop... well he kept going and going until he went onto Oakland at which point I hit the bay bridge so didn't know or care. People were honking at him, and I distinctly saw him look over to the right side into the mirror, but we came to the conclusion that he just didn't give a shit and was still going to drive.

Now my question is it legal for semi to keep going? I would think not only would it be unsafe for him but for others on the road as piece of rubber come flying off.

 

[Gomer]

I can't imagine it being legal in any way.

 

[tuberider]

That is not legal and the driver was risking loosing his class A license. I had one blow out in front of me on I-95 outside of Philly, dude was driving a cement truck too, a very scary moment. He did pull over though...

 

[GreshamH]

It's not legal but then again there is a LOT of illegal trucking in the bay area, especially in and around the Port of Oakland. I've seen some real doozies in Oakland

 

[itsacrispy]

My wife got rearended by a semi on the 880 a couple years back; surprisingly little damage was done. The CHP who took the report put my wife at fault, I believe his words to her were: "You shouldn't have been playing chicken with a 20-ton vehicle." Chicken? It was rush hour on the 880 in Oakland, how do you play chicken in 2 mph traffic?