Head On!

[Grumpy Bear]

Recent story in the Chicago news. Lake Shore Drive and Pulaski Drives are the two top roads in Illinois for fatal head on crashes. 10% of the states 2K PLUS fatal head on accidents happen on these two road. The story was less about the what and more about the why and what to do. Lake Shore Drive has a speed limit of 40-45 mph over most of its length. According to the Traffic Safety News Letter 95% of travelers on this road exceed the limit by at least 10 mph so now the 'flow of traffic' is 50-55 mph. Got ya.

 

It's also a four lane divided highway whose median is PAINT most of the time and it seems that drivers doing 55 in a 40-45 mph zone are crossing the median at overtake speeds nearing 80-100 mph at times. The result is lots of dead people on the 4 O'clock news.  It's how it got to be a story. 

 

Well the road hasn't enough room to install a CURBED MEDIAN in the worst areas so the city is going to take a page from a New York playbook and sink steel girders into the median and string several courses of air craft cable to prevent this moronic behavior. 

 

 

 

Edited September 17, 2022 by Grumpy Bear

[diyer2]

Stop the presses! No Curbed Median, seems like  good way to cleanse the gene pool. 

[Donstar]

A fatal crash occurred a couple of blocks from home when I was a child.  I remember this because of my father saying, "Now they'll put up a stop sign."   He was right.  Sixty years later road signage overall has improved but signs are useless when ignored.  I find it particularly sad when you come to an intersection c/w every sign you'd find in a Driving manual including, 

 

[KARNUT]

In the double nickel days I had all the devices to go ten over to keep an eye on smoky. Even a CB. I’m the slower guy now I did the math the elapsed time over all isn’t much more. Now the southern interstates are 75-80 mph. You have to stand out to get a ticket. I’m definitely being past more than passing 

[Grumpy Bear]

Closer to home. Just a few miles from my home on a road I travel often a fellow in a pickup passed another fellow and his workmate in a pickup in a no passing zone just below the crest of a blind hill. He hit a car with family head on that "appeared out of nowhere" (really?) AND then the truck he just passed hit them both. The only one to survive was the guy passing illegally. 

 

I have, in the past, slid over and blocked that pass to prevent that from happening. Guy trying to pass me in a dense fog who did not see the driving lights I saw, and he did stop with me at a Micky D's and thank me for doing it. I'm afraid that today that would get me shot or shoved into a ditch with a Dale Earnhardt type bumper hook. 

 

It's been in the news for days. This fellow will get out of the hospital and into a cell.... maybe. Criminal charges are 'pending'. As much as it has been in the news, it hasn't stopped anyone or even slowed them down...

Edited December 8, 2022 by Grumpy Bear

[diyer2]

IMO

No matter the crime this country is to easy on law breakers, from wildlife criminals to killers. 

[diyer2]

My 2 cents.

We have been traveling/residing in the county we live in and the next county over many years. The majority of the roads are 2 lane. The percentage of reckless  driving has definitely increased, especially in the last 5-6 years mainly due to growth IMO. Drivers crossing double yellow lines, especially on curves, passing in no passing zones and speeding more. 

I have taken evasive driving actions more than ever before to avoid accidents. Cresting a hill recently a pickup was on my side of the road coming at me, almost ended up in the ditch. Rounding a blind curve a vehicle half over the double yellow line, luckily there was a wide road berm to use. 

I will quote Rodney Dangerfield, "No Respect." Not just on the road now a days.

 

 

[It's Tim]

Priorities...

[customboss]

On 12/8/2022 at 11:12 AM, It's Tim said:

Priorities...

WORD

[customboss]

On 9/17/2022 at 7:01 AM, Donstar said:

A fatal crash occurred a couple of blocks from home when I was a child.  I remember this because of my father saying, "Now they'll put up a stop sign."   He was right.  Sixty years later road signage overall has improved but signs are useless when ignored.  I find it particularly sad when you come to an intersection c/w every sign you'd find in a Driving manual including, 

 

Held/hold a FAA Airline Transport rating for years flying heavy metal.....I can't pass a friggin class 1,2, or even 3 FAA physical anymore because of military service as a kid but the FAA relies on death and destruction historically to make safety rules. Airline Pilots unions drove safety when " free market" allowed the worst death and destruction because of profit. I am afraid many have forgotten the blood soaked rules and safety regs reasons now........many think that driving is a computer game until they decapitate themselves or kill an innocent pedestrian.  

[RyanbabZ71]

Ive driven LSD (not the drug) many times never seen any crashes.  Did drive fast though mainly trying to stay away from others

 

I65 in Indiana utilize the steel cables.  They work well and stop many semis from crossing into oncoming traffic.