Interstate safety.

I couldn't agree with you more. I always move over if I can. I taught my wife to do the same. I will teach my daughters to do that too, or I will confiscate their licenses.

 

It's the law in most states!

 

I sure don't miss road work. It never ceased to amaze me how people would just fly by without getting over. Its like a lot of folks just don't care. I can't tell you how many times I've been nearly run over. Or have my hat blow off cause of the speed of vehicles. Again, I sure don't miss that type of work.

 

Am always EXTREMELY cautious when it comes to construction zones. Most of it coming from my dad having worked construction (heavy equipment mechanic-heavy highway primarily) for 35-40 years (been retired 10 years now and LOVE seeing him every day). My brother followed in his footsteps after a few years of starvation when he knew it all. People need to put theirself in the workers family's shoes. If something happened to that worker and it was due to complete and total carelessness and you were the family, how would you feel? These men (and the few women) have enough to deal with. Doped up/drunk ops, being away for sometimes YEARS at a time, being out in the elements, etc etc. They don't need to be killed by some idiot driver!

 

not even just construction zones but disabled vehicles and police traffic stops on the shoulder

it makes me crazy...ill see it and hit the interrupt or flash my brake lights a few times to warn people behind me, ill get over and the people behind me dont get over at all...and they pass me on the right, and dont even get over at all and fly right next to whoever is on the shoulder

it really pisses me off...thats how people get killed...and once when i had to pull over ill never forget a super trucker did it to me, way over the speed limit, didnt get over, and blew his air horn...REALLY pissed me off

 

I drove from MSP to Chicago yesterday, and it was THE MOST STRESSFUL run i've ever been on. And it seemed like nothing but drivers (4 or 18 wheels) who were out just to screw with as many people as possible. And the 4-wheelers who just dont get it....if they wanna play tag with a big truck, they're going to lose...and it wont be pretty.

few stories (as i'm sure someone will say "oh thats everyday, man"...which i'm sure it is.)

I get closer to chicago, and go from the 90 to the 290 headed south (or east?) and its 4-5 lanes. I see the big yellow sign half mile away that says "lane ends"..so i get over...no problem. I see another half mile down says "lane ends"...so i signal. The car behind me accellerates, and i'm quickly running out of room. She can easily get over with nobody to her left...and i motion with my thumb (not to confuse it with another finger) "I NEED OVER"....i finally just start creeping closer and closer to the center-line....and FINALLY she gets over. i mean seriously...WTF !!!

another was this gal who passed me on i-94 in WI. driving with her knee eating chicken (or something out of a box). I give her a blast with my air-horn, and she turns around, throwing her hands in the air like "what was that for?" like she didn't have a clue....

and last but not least...

A swift driver in a company T2000 passes me (i'm stuck behind another big truck going 60 and cant get over) then a minute or two later, i notice the swift driver is STILL in the hammer lane. The driver has a chance to pace the slow lane and get over behind another truck, but what does the driver do? KEEPS GOING up hill in the hammer lane. By this time, there is easily half a mile of open road in front of them. I look back, and can see cars lined up in the hammer lane for a good mile or two. Now i know i drive for swift...and other drivers are just as guilty of this...but come on drivers. its time to use some common sense on the road. its time to grow up from high school, and be professional drivers. Its time to not pay so much attention to the name on the side of the door, as to be a deciding factor whether or not to be professional and flash a driver over, or to flash a thank you. Its time to realize we are all doing the same job, and yet there are 1000s of different levels of experience, different pay, etc., we can all show a little class. Just because you dont like "Company A" don't mean you get all butt-hurt when you're under a 45k load, and getting passed by said company.....so you keep your foot in it, and hang that driver out to dry in the hammer lane...making him earn the pass like you're in NASCAR or something.

 

It isn't just construction zones, and it is nothing new. I was at a multiple car, multiple fatal accident on CA 86 back when it was a two lane road. The scene was a total mess, and traffic was down to one lane, actually on the shoulder. This one idiot ignored my clear signal and voice command to stop. I hit the hood of his car with my 5 cell flashlight to get his attention. THEN he stopped and came out of his car at me. To make a long story short, he spent the next hour or so in the cage in my patrol car. He then went to jail and his car got towed.

But I would be willing to bet that it did not alter his overall driving habits, OR his self-centeredness one little bit.


Trying to get drivers to comply with directions is always a nightmare.

 

One thing that irks me about highway patrol/police: When they pull people over on a 4-lane road or interstate, sometimes they feel the need to angle park behind the stopped vehicle, to the point where they are over the fog line and in the right lane of traffic. I'm Not sure if this is something they are taught to do now (to "protect" the stopped vehicle), or if its just a select few "special" people that you find in every line of work.

Also, I've seen everyone do this, even construction/surveyors/police: Stepping out of the drivers side in heavy traffic without even looking. I grab the left lane and make room if I can, but sometimes situations arise and you don't have time to get out of that lane. (especially if someone is pulled over just past a hilltop, or in fog, etc)

Sometimes I think too that people who are in the line of danger ALL THE TIME (Police/construction, etc) get a little complacent and don't always watch what they're doing. There's two sides to every coin...

 

That is real "old school" training. Hell for the past 20 years or more the idea is to protect the entire situation. The violator, the patrol car and the motoring public. As long as there is room to do so, the standard is to get the cop car out of the traffic lanes, and approach the violator on his right side. But sometimes there just isn't the room to do it.

That is what your brakes are for driver. If you can't get over, and you can't always, SLOW DOWN.

Complacency such as this has gotten more than one officer killed.