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Make Legal Stop or Illegal Right Lane Pass?

Discussion in 'Questions To Truckers From The General Public' started by NoWayNoHow, Feb 17, 2011.

Make Legal Stop or Illegal Right Lane Pass?

  1. *

    Make Legal Stop

    52 vote(s)
    88.1%

  2. Make Illegal Right Lane Pass

    7 vote(s)
    11.9%
Page 2 of 4
  1. Feb 18, 2011 #11
    NoWayNoHow

    NoWayNoHow Light Load Member

    53
    31
    Jan 29, 2011
    0
    I don't doubt for a minute that the professional drivers here will do the right, and safe thing, and stop.

    In reality, at all times of day, and all traffic conditions (vehicles coming onto the highway from the the intersecting road, vehicles pumping fuel in the parking lot at one of the businesses), I'd estimate at least 90% of the trucks will blow right through the turn lane without slowing. I assume it's because they don't want to grind to a halt and then have to run back up through the gears. Other vehicles do it too, though not as many as the trucks. I'd expect better behavior from the pros in any case.

    And yes, there have been wrecks due to this. I watch my mirrors, expecting I may get clubbed from the rear, or caught up in a big wreck with a truck and a vehicle coming in from the right, but there's nothing to be done other than hold on and see what happens. It's a scary place...the business with the fuel pumps is a farm supply place, so aside from the pumps, there are farm trucks filling their bulk tanks, fertilizer tankers, trucks hauling equipment, a whole bunch of stuff right next to vehicles flying through the acceleration lane...no space or barriers between the lane and the parking lot.

    Every once in a long while, the state patrol will set up a trap. They park a spotter in their Hazmat truck in the parking lot on the right side (for some reason, that truck seems to be invisible, even though it's got the same colors, logos and lights as the cruisers!) and park a few cruisers up the road. It's easy pickings, I guess they could make a big pile of money doing it, but they have other work to do.

    This problem really came home to me when I was in school for a couple of weeks (I pulled out of it for my own reasons), and at the time, I was envisioning getting screamed at by a trainer to roll through that kind of intersection (there have to be thousands of them out there), 'cause it takes a long time to get that sucker rolling again.

    But maybe they only do that when the trainees are out of the truck!

    Thanks for the replies and keep it safe!
     
    NoWayNoHow, Feb 18, 2011
    NoWayNoHow, Feb 18, 2011
    #11
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  3. Feb 18, 2011 #12
    Hardlyevr

    Hardlyevr Road Train Member

    3,270
    2,540
    Jul 30, 2009
    Mapleton Depot,PA
    0
    Exactly! I was sitting at a light in my 4 wheeler with my daughters and a niece, looked in the mirror to see a F250 fishtailing towards me, and got to hollar "hold on girls" just before he hit us. Fortunately he mostly sideswiped us instead of a solid hit. Totalled my station wagon, but nobody was hurt.
     
    Hardlyevr, Feb 18, 2011
    Hardlyevr, Feb 18, 2011
    #12
    rocknroll nik and Injun Thank this.
  4. Feb 18, 2011 #13
    NoWayNoHow

    NoWayNoHow Light Load Member

    53
    31
    Jan 29, 2011
    0
    What's scary for me sitting there waiting to make a left turn is that once a rig decides to keep rolling through the turn/acceleration lane, there's no slowing it down. If someone turns into the lane from the intersection or the parking lot, there'll be a bunch of iron flying around.
     
    NoWayNoHow, Feb 18, 2011
    NoWayNoHow, Feb 18, 2011
    #13
  5. Feb 19, 2011 #14
    CoJack

    CoJack Bobtail Member

    9
    3
    Feb 17, 2011
    MI
    0
    I know what you are saying NoWayNoHow. I see it constantly. I pull almost twice the weight of an 18 wheeler, and even I don't consider saving time by endangering myself and others. It ceases to amaze me the drivers that do. Some day, maybe common sense will be common once again.
     
    CoJack, Feb 19, 2011
    CoJack, Feb 19, 2011
    #14
    rocknroll nik Thanks this.
  7. Feb 20, 2011 #15
    Bazerk Wizz Bang!

    Bazerk Wizz Bang! Medium Load Member

    315
    194
    Nov 14, 2010
    Freeking Nirvana (N. California)
    0
    I completely agree. And in the forum whats said sounds pretty, but I suspect most drivers take this view instead of the always stop view. Way I see it is there will always be the exception like the one quoted above, but they are few and far between.

    If I am absolutely certain there are no cars, people, dogs, cops ets.... anywhere around and there is plenty of room I will slow down to maby 20 MPH, just in case the fellow changes his mind and decided he doesn't want to turn left, then will hit my brights day or night two hands on the wheel looking for the other driver to make the slightest flinch or another driver person ets I didnt see to come out of nowhere , then safely slowly maneuver around them, or quickly stop. Any kind of traffic or even a bad gut feeling but no bad visual. I just stop. Only a complete jackace would run full bore threw an intersection given that sceniorio, but still there is always the one in say 10,000 times when running full bore might be ok, like county road in flat farm land where you can see for a few miles in every direction. Even if the driver turning changes his mind after being stoped, doesnt see your rig and slowly starts accelerating you still have a mile of room to safely/effortlessly manuver around them. Then running full throttle would be ok for me.

    Yep, if you are loaded it kills massive time on your load and burns tons of fuel slowin er down and gearing er back up again. Especially if you are running on elogs (nazi logs). Elogs have no mercy or leniency. 3 minuts grace and the computer violates and punishes you, no exceptions period. You are on a really tight load and want to keep a your good record or even job you push it more than you should sometimes, even sometimes taking risk you wouldn't otherwise due. Doesnt happen very often when a driver is driving a load that tight under those conditions where it is hard for them to get out of, but it does happen. Happen enough to make it that more dangerous on the highways.
     
    Bazerk Wizz Bang!, Feb 20, 2011
    Bazerk Wizz Bang!, Feb 20, 2011
    #15
  8. Feb 20, 2011 #16
    rocknroll nik

    rocknroll nik High Risk Load Member

    4,490
    5,770
    Oct 18, 2008
    can't read the sign
    0
    No I'll always stop.....in 1984 one of the members of my band did that and killed someone...spent several years in prison for vehicular manslaughter......that was enough for me to never do it .....never have ...never will
     
    rocknroll nik, Feb 20, 2011
    rocknroll nik, Feb 20, 2011
    #16
  9. Feb 20, 2011 #17
    NoWayNoHow

    NoWayNoHow Light Load Member

    53
    31
    Jan 29, 2011
    0
    I can understand that line of thinking. And what blows me away is that you can sit all day long and watch truck after truck just roll through that lane; the brake lights never even flash. It's not an isolated case at 6 am Sunday morning. And this isn't a remote area...it's semi rural, but there are a lot of intersections and some businesses along the road; in fact the county has started a discussion about petitioning the state highway dept. to lower speeds from 65 to 55 for safety's sake.

    I think the reason there aren't more wrecks is that the traffic at the intersection and at the businesses is local, and they know what to expect, so they stay clear until it's safe...most of the time.
     
    NoWayNoHow, Feb 20, 2011
    NoWayNoHow, Feb 20, 2011
    #17
  10. Feb 20, 2011 #18
    walstib

    walstib Darkstar

    4,678
    35,436
    Sep 25, 2010
    Since you aren't there, your house!
    0
    Hopefully I see you, and oncoming traffic with enough time to just slow down hoping I don't have to come to a complete stop but if necessary, stop...
     
    walstib, Feb 20, 2011
    walstib, Feb 20, 2011
    #18
  11. Feb 20, 2011 #19
    blackw900

    blackw900 The Grandfather of Flatbed

    5,817
    7,678
    Jul 12, 2009
    A.W.O.L
    0

    Do you do anything right?

    I've read a bunch of your posts and the one common thread through all of them is that they all show that you have very poor judgement when it comes to deciding what to do in almost any situation.

    You must drive for CR England....
     
    blackw900, Feb 20, 2011
    blackw900, Feb 20, 2011
    #19
  12. Feb 20, 2011 #20
    walstib

    walstib Darkstar

    4,678
    35,436
    Sep 25, 2010
    Since you aren't there, your house!
    0
    Anytime someone has to say "as long as no cops in sight", you know you're wrong...If there wasn't traffic or other vehicles around he probably would have made the turn not causing you to stop or make this decision in the first place...
     
    walstib, Feb 20, 2011
    walstib, Feb 20, 2011
    #20
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