Interstate safe driving strategies

[InterBlog]

From FB this morning, nothing new here, but it's a propos of this thread, and it did elicit a guffaw out of me. Six million views and counting.

[tjplus]

Yes, we get it. You're absolutely right. This is why we go very carefully and slowly pulling our Airstream and give everyone lots of space. As they say space is the final frontier!

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

From FB this morning, nothing new here, but it's a propos of this thread, and it did elicit a guffaw out of me. Six million views and counting.

People in my area have no problem using that miracle device. In fact I wish they would leave it off and just stay in one lane for more than 5 seconds. It's a courtesy but it definitely does not replace actually knowing how to drive.

I'd rather people check to make sure there is room and just move over without signalling, than use the signal as an apology for almost hitting me or driving along with it on for half a mile waiting for a space to magically appear.

[RandyNH]

When I lived in California, a safety training course instructor would recommend moving on the third blink of the directional, reasoning was the first two would catch their attention and cause a slight pause in human reaction and after the third blink they'd recovered enough to speed up and close the gap to not let you in. That has always stuck with me and has almost always worked. Not having driven on S. Cal freeways for 30 years, they may be a little more crowded now and it may not work as well there, but it still does here.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

One of the interesting "features" of the PA turnpike are it's tunnels. They were carefully designed sometime in the ox cart era for the traffic of the day. These days they are a bit narrow for the traffic that goes through them.

Watching semi's run through them, the standard tactic is to speed up considerably in the tunnel. That reduces the number of people running past you and the likelihood of a "problem". It's not a random thing, you have to go pedal to the floor to keep up with them. I'm not completely sure I accept the wisdom of that approach. It is how they all seem to do it. There is also the minor issue of the speed limit ...

Bob

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by RandyNH

When I lived in California, a safety training course instructor would recommend moving on the third blink of the directional, reasoning was the first two would catch their attention and cause a slight pause in human reaction and after the third blink they'd recovered enough to speed up and close the gap to not let you in. That has always stuck with me and has almost always worked. Not having driven on S. Cal freeways for 30 years, they may be a little more crowded now and it may not work as well there, but it still does here.

The lane change feature blinks 3 times automatically, or 5 times with the trailer attached. It's all I ever use.

[slowmover]

One signals the lane change prior to moving from the lane center.

And the signal is turned off only after completing the maneuver. Again, lane center for the whole of the rig.

This is pretty much the way the law reads.

With that in mind, with some traffic, I make certain I can change lanes and only then activate the signal.

In a big truck I'm not putting up with those who'd intentionally block my way. I'm not asking permission.

[amirm]

While we complain about non-RV drivers, my worst incident has been with an RVer!

Had merged onto I-5 at a busy time and stayed in the right lane as I could not change lanes. There is this truck pulling a large travel trailer in the center lane. Next thing I know he starts to pull right into my lane. I hunk my puny horn but he keeps coming. I slam on my brakes so that he doesn't hit me only to see him get into my land and then take the exit on the right. He then sticks his hand out his window and gives me the finger!

So he doesn't get to the right lane in time for his exit, doesn't take the next one and thinks I am the one at fault? Schmuck!

[Mollysdad]

Here in Florida using your turn signal is notifying the person behind that they need to speed up so they'll be in front.

But my most hair raising experience was just north of Atlanta in the rain on I-75. It's about 8 lanes wide, so I was in a middle lane.
I could see traffic stopping ahead so I slowed. I was passed by a car to my left, he jammed on his brakes and spun out. Every revolution I was closer and he was half in my lane. There was no way for me to stop without jackknifing. I did my best. He ended up facing the wrong way in his own lane as I drove past.
How I avoided him was sheer luck. My heart rate was about two hundred.
My pet peeves were folks who merged on my right, I'd move over so they had the lane, and then they'd drive alongside me for miles so I couldn't get back over.
Or people who won't let you over to change lanes when you need to exit left. I drove a 40' MH plus a 14' trailer and no one wanted to let me merge. Eventually, I'd just start crowding the lane until they gave up. If you've driven through Atlanta or Chattanooga, the road has you changing lanes constantly.
Third, I leave plenty of room in front, so a car darts into the space and jams on their brakes.

Originally Posted by amirm

Next thing I know he starts to pull right into my lane. I hunk my puny horn but he keeps coming. I slam on my brakes so that he doesn't hit me

I had a blind spot on the MH I could hide a semi in. I'd take a long time to change lanes just to be certain no car popped up alongside me. Too often they did. I envied the newer MHs that had cameras on the sides that came up when you applied the turn signal.

BTW, most of those crazy car crash videos come from Russia.
Most people have dash cams because the traffic is insane and the police are corrupt. Better to have evidence.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Nice map - I Imgur'd it and pasted the embed below. It reminds me of how much I am NOT looking forward to shooting the northeast corridor solo, later this year. Like shooting a Class V rapids, freeway-style. The choices available to me are not good, given that I need to go from Houston to Nova Scotia.

I do find that the Garmin I recently bought (Airforms thread here) does help with predictive lane alignments. Even in Houston where I've known the roads for 30 years, I like to travel with it whether in the Interstate or my daily driver.

Houston to Nova Scotia:

IH69N, then West KY & Bluegrass Pkwy to Lexington, KY

Thence, IH64 to IH77 to IH90.

Just bypass Boston on IH495. Avoid IH290.

This is a route (mainly) low on commercial traffic especially once off US-59. I've used it all several times last two years.

Piece a cake.

Your Garmin won't know it, but it's easily planned.

90 is a Tollroad. Consider a tolltag as worthwhile. The one in my Kenworth can be used nationwide (with a couple of exceptions).

And use www.roadfood.com to find a place for lunch. Get off the main road. Fm satellite for ingress/egress. Plan the fuel stop close by to that, but back on IH. Truck stops (now upgraded to "travel plaza") are easy to use. Not so many in New England (Springfield Mass: Pride, in Chicopee. Irving Circle K, in Maine).

And I echo your comments about the Garmin. Have a Motor Carrier Road Atlas, as well.

.

[LB_3]

My biggest pet-peeve is drivers in the north-east racing out in front of me on on-ramps then deciding at the last second to yield after I've already slowed to let them in. By rule the cars on the on-ramp must yield to highway traffic but if they get out in front of me, I assume they are declaring their intention to merge. When they don't merge it screws everything up because I can't accelerate back to speed like everyone around me.

It's just a clash of driving cultures but it annoys me to no end.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by slowmover

One signals the lane change prior to moving from the lane center.

And the signal is turned off only after completing the maneuver. Again, lane center for the whole of the rig.

This is pretty much the way the law reads.

With that in mind, with some traffic, I make certain I can change lanes and only then activate the signal.

In a big truck I'm not putting up with those who'd intentionally block my way. I'm not asking permission.

I was curious so I looked it up. The law is pretty vague and just says "shall signal intentions". I also looked up my other pet peeve: people making half of a left turn and then driving in the center turn lane trying to "merge". Nope, not legal.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by slowmover

Houston to Nova Scotia:
IH69N, then West KY & Bluegrass Pkwy to Lexington, KY
Thence, IH64 to IH77 to IH90.
Just bypass Boston on IH495. Avoid IH290.
This is a route (mainly) low on commercial traffic especially once off US-59. I've used it all several times last two years.
Piece a cake.
Your Garmin won't know it, but it's easily planned.
90 is a Tollroad. Consider a tolltag as worthwhile. The one in my Kenworth can be used nationwide (with a couple of exceptions).
....

Interesting. Are you saying that IH-69 is tolerable throughout its length, even though it's not IH-69 yet? Because north of Houston, it's still a cow path.

Your route avoids a greater portion of the Appalachians, which certainly has its appeal. We've done this twice so far, and this was our theoretical route below, in the image (I accidentally reversed the first two signs; by theoretical I mean that construction and wrecks forced us to make major modifications along the northeast corridor in real time). It's up the Shenandoah Valley, beautiful drive but fatiguing because of those danged mountains and heavy, heavy traffic. I'm undecided what to do this year. I'd like a better route, but this is the devil I know. (Also, we boondock / Wallydock along the way, and we've thus far avoided a route more toward the mid-continent because it tends to be hotter than in the mountains.)

Thanks for the reminder to look into the toll tag issue once again. I have a TxTAG but I think I would need an EZPass for tolls in the northeast. Last I heard, there was no reciprocity with Texas.

[m.hony]

The toll roads need to be consolidated.
If you get a transponder/till tag for every toll authority you'll have 100 transponders on your windshield.
Since EZ Pass has set a precedent with a single device working in the entire northeast, the rest of the country should follow.
As it is now, you have at least 3 in Texas that don't all work together or with PikePass in Oklahoma or K-Tag in Kansas.
Florida has at least 2-3 that don't work together.
It is crazy.
Add to that the fact there are no actual people or booths to pay as you go.
A picture is taken of your license plate and a bill sent with penalties more than the toll.
Best practice is to avoid toll roads altogether if you can.
The problem with avoiding toll roads is that they start new toll roads almost daily so it is impossible to keep GPS devices updated.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by m.hony

... you have at least 3 in Texas that don't all work together ....

To my knowledge, the Texas tags go by different names, but all work together. Mine is actually a HCTRA tag which goes by the name EZTag, but I use the term TxTAG because it's more familiar to people.

EZTag and EZPass are not the same and have no reciprocity. It's confusing, obviously. EZPass is not actually a pass, per se. It's a term used to describe the consolidation of 38 different tolling agencies in the northeast. Theoretically you are supposed to get the tag from that agency with jurisdiction in your state of residence. For those of us who are out of area, well, I haven't figured that part out yet.

The hell of it is, I don't even want an EZPass for toll roads so much as for the danged bridges. That was our big bottleneck last year - about an hour wait at one bridge in New York state because we could not go through the electronic lanes.

[xrvr]

I can't remember the last time I traveled on a toll road so I don't understand.

[InterBlog]

You're lucky. Going to Nova Scotia, it would be almost impossible to avoid. For instance, there is only one interstate highway in the state of Maine (plus its child loop) and it's a toll road for part of its length.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

....Theoretically you are supposed to get the tag from that agency with jurisdiction in your state of residence. For those of us who are out of area, well, I haven't figured that part out yet.
...

Actually I just did it. I picked the Maine Turnpike Authority and ordered one from them. The sign-up and credit card deposit procedure was very similar to the Texas process.

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

To my knowledge, the Texas tags go by different names, but all work together. Mine is actually a HCTRA tag which goes by the name EZTag, but I use the term TxTAG because it's more familiar to people.

EZTag and EZPass are not the same and have no reciprocity. It's confusing, obviously. EZPass is not actually a pass, per se. It's a term used to describe the consolidation of 38 different tolling agencies in the northeast. Theoretically you are supposed to get the tag from that agency with jurisdiction in your state of residence. For those of us who are out of area, well, I haven't figured that part out yet.

The hell of it is, I don't even want an EZPass for toll roads so much as for the danged bridges. That was our big bottleneck last year - about an hour wait at one bridge in New York state because we could not go through the electronic lanes.

NTTA (Dallas) may work with Harris County Toll Road Authority (Houston) and TexTag (Austin?) but works with PikePass (Oklahoma) and K-tag (Kansas) whereas HCTRA and TexTag do not.

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by avionstream

I can't remember the last time I traveled on a toll road so I don't understand.

Keep avoiding them, my friend.
It is a bunch of convoluted garbage.
Seems like double taxation to me.