Jack Failure France Morocco Road Safety Warning

Julián Torres has worked for about twenty years in the maintenance and safety of Spanish roads. Among the many interventions he has participated in, one that occurred in 2008 remains particularly vivid in his memory.

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At the time assigned to monitor the highway network, he had been called to report an immobilized car on the roadside. The vehicle, which was making the journey between France and Morocco, was heavily loaded and had just suffered a puncture.

The agent decides to help the driver replace the wheel using the car’s jack. He then makes an error that he acknowledges today: sliding under the vehicle while it rests solely on this equipment.

According to La Vanguardia, the jack eventually gave way under the weight. The suspension dropped abruptly, but the agent managed to move aside before being crushed.

A Jack Is Never Enough

This incident reminds us that you should never position yourself under a car supported only by a jack, regardless of the vehicle’s weight. This tool is used to lift the car long enough to change a wheel, but does not constitute a sufficiently safe support for working underneath.

Heavy loading can also unbalance the vehicle and increase the pressure exerted on the jack. Before a long trip to Morocco, it is therefore essential to respect the maximum authorized load, check the condition of the tires, and ensure that the breakdown equipment is suitable.

On Bladi.net : As a journalist for The New York Times, I would craft the following headline for this story:

In case of a puncture on a highway, occupants must first take shelter behind the safety barrier and signal the vehicle. When conditions do not allow intervention without danger, calling a professional remains the safest solution.