Stop Parking on Shoulder!

Don't you know. Super Truckers would rather just hammer down. Rather than properly Trip plan.

Only time I EVER had to park on the shoulder was during a snow storm outside of Gallup. Was a line of us 8 deep. Because of the weather.

 

Or maybe stop driving into the back of vehicles parked on the shoulders?



when I was driving I carried a big box of triangles I never stopped on the shoulder for anything other than a pee at the top of a hill , and usually there was a wide spot to pull off , because so many drivers did it ,
I stopped on a get on ramp a few times for a quick nap , but
if I had to stop for any mechanical reason I’d set out at several triangle.



and if your parked on the shoulder for any reason . Turn off the lights and use the flashers .
Do not stop and leave the lights on .
It makes it too hard for sleepy drivers to tell if you’re moving or sitting .

sleepy drivers think you’re moving and run right into the back of you .

And I’d reccomend a couple of the “guardian angel “ strobe lights

about a $100 each and they are super bright
And worth their weight in gold if the electrical system on your rig dies and you have No lights at all .

 

uhhh..

and this.....

at 4:30 AM, was the now dead driver drowsy? sleepy? nano/micro napping?

not for nothing, but HE FAILED to negotiate a curve..??

speeding was he...??

sorry he's dead, but maybe the other driver that was parked on the shoulder had a breakdown..??

since no charges have been filed "yet", i'm gonna put the blame on the death on the driver...FAILING to negotiate a curve....

i see NO EXCUSE for that, a tired driver, falling asleep, and maybe speeding as well....

 

Virginia, Monday morning, Memorial Day, was cracking down on this very thing and I am glad to see it. They had 2 north bound up the hill from Buffalo Creek, MM 183 on 1-81 The "shoulder" has become a "pull off" for any type of behavior. Exit 118 southbound on 1-81 even has big neon signs stating, "NO PARKING ON SHOULDER", you know what, 4 trucks were parked on the shoulder the other night. Virginia will write you up for "disobeying highways signs" which carries a 3 points against your license.

 

That's craziness. I don't understand why the driver parking on the shoulder is getting the heat. The guy that died, in my mind, was the only one in the wrong. He was going to fast and not paying attention. Speed and driver error, the 2 deadliest things for any vehicle operator. Nonetheless, my condolences to the deceased driver and his loved ones.

 

And here’s something i’ve been told..
Most fathers probably have.

 

Because other than a medical/mechanical emergency. You should NEVER be parked on the shoulder.

You blame truck 2. By assuming. We don't know why he didn't maintain his lane. He could have had a medical/mechanical issue.

Regardless. If truck 1 was parked somewhere legally. It wouldn't matter.

 

Only time I've ever pulled over on the shoulder of a highway when it wasn't a mechanical breakdown was once in SoCal. There weren't any places to stop and I simply had to have a quick nature call. I really couldn't figure out any other option. My bladder was about to explode. But, pulling off on the shoulder for anything but an 'emergency' is folly. I don't care for those pulling off on entrance and exit ramps and very rarely do so. But, that's still better than one highway shoulder.
However, from the information provided, the blame appears to be the driver of the moving truck (RIP driver). Not the parked driver. If you are driving too fast, tired, aggressive, lazy, or whatever that you are unable to miss a truck pulled off the road, hard to see it as anything other than being a fault. My opinion.

 

Shoulders of the roadbed are designated to be used for "evasive action " also.

Nowhere, nohow, noway are the designed or designated for parking unless due to an emergency or mechanical failure and even then you have only 10 minutes to deploy reflectors or flares to warn others.

The other thing I notice is when these dunderheads pull off onto the shoulder they never chose a location that would offer up the maximum amount of visibility to oncoming traffic.
RIP driver.