Roadway Designs with Truckers in Mind

Excuse me? I believe four-wheelers were singled out here. Nowhere do I see mention of truckers.

I agree with your statement about attacking the problem at the source. Better driver's training would help, but some people are -- and will always remain -- idiots. Four-wheelers, motorcyclists, and truckers alike. What's that saying? "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink."

 

Either you arent very bright, or you just like controversy. EVERYONE starts in a 4wheeler. Build the biggest, broadest, most well-lit road and it will still be backed up, cramped, full of accidents and whatnot. The most effective (and cheapest) way to ease traffic tensions is to start at the source of the problem.

Spend billions and build the biggest, widest, most well-lit road and the idiots will still travel in packs and clam up the roads. Keep the roads the same, remove the guardrails and require more qualification from the 4 wheelers in order for them to be on the bigroad. They will get better, while the idiots will put themselves in the graveyard.

Problem solved.

 

I'm not totally disagreeing with you TSix. I'm just saying that because someone can pass a driver's test at an "interstate" level doesn't mean that s/he's going to perform at that level once turned loose on the highway. In theory, it's wonderful. But I don't think it will yield those results in actual practice.

Oh... and sometimes I will stir the pot. But I guess today I'm just not very bright. So I'll give ya' two points on that statement.

 

LOL... funny you should mention that, I pondered that very scenario myself'what if all the highways were elevated at least 50 feet off the ground and there were no guardrails? I suspect people would be a lot more polite when they drive.

 

At least those in the outer lanes would be!! LOL

 

1ONLY, trucks are 102 inches wide! How many feet is that? Where were you when they alowed the 102 in width?

 

Roads should be like the ones inTX, lots of service roads, and long on-off ramps, like 1 mile. Lots of rest areas and wide berms, wider than 102 in so you can get out of a vehicle and not get run over. 75 MPH speed limits w/a minimum speed lane, If you cant keep up keep right.

The road to heaven is 2 feet wide and there are plenty of people to help you along it. The road to hell is 2 miles wide and there are plenty of people pushing you out of the way to get there first.

 

The one downside to all those service roads is when you merge from highway to service road, people dont always stop/yield for you on the service road when you merge and its a game of chicken then.

 

It works overseas. Either obey traffic signs or say goodbye to your driving priviledges. The thing thats wrong in America is that noone wants to do anything about the drivers. The legislators are stupid too. They will mandate safer cars, and wider roads. Some of us grew up on cars with 4 wheel drum brakes and bias-ply tires. Every driver knew back then that if you heated those drums up, they would fade rapidly. Disc brakes are worlds better than drums, yet there are more accidents. Traction control, stability control, ABS, airbags, signs and flashing lights do not work!

Everyone wants better roads and better cars. Roads are fine. Cars are better. But legislation should not be there to protect the stupid. Stupid people will find a way to an early death. Get rid of half the laws and "safety corridor BS" and guardrails and let them kill themselves.

Its like the first snow... every idiot in the world jumps out and blasts down the road as soon as it starts snowing. I will get off the road so as not to be involved. A 3rd of the idiots will kill themselves and then the roads are empty.

Speaking of old cars, drum brakes and bias ply tires...
I remember my dad, before long road trips changing the oil, checking the brakes and air pressure in the tires. In fact, everyone used to do this stuff. The cars were big and heavy and didnt handle well. Come off the mountains, and we used to gear down and never hit the brakes. Blow a steer tire in a car, you would never hit the brakes. Start sliding on ice, we would never hit the brakes.
Now, you drive on the interstate and the first thing you see is that the first thing that everyone does, when starting uphill/making a lane change/entering the freeway ramp/start to slide or hydroplane is HIT THE BRAKES.

 

I could not agree with you more. At some point, Americans have to take responsibility for their own actions and not look to the government to regulate the cause of every little problem.

Unfortunately, they will often take many others with them. We already have enough of that. I'd hate to see more. <sigh>