Roadside safety: Stay Alive!

[tim292stro]

I will add that it is inadvisable to wear camouflage rain gear without the use of an accompanying reflective vest during roadside events, especially at night in driving rain. Been there, don't that, felt the mirrors scrape my chest and back. That was retrieving a lost 14.00-20 Goodyear and rim from the middle of a two lane at night in the rain by myself.

That reminds me of an anecdote... and another caution.

About a year into dating my now wife, we were driving through a canyon at a few past midnight and came upon an accident. Single vehicle into a tree on the outside of a sharp downhill turn. Apparently the guy driving had JUST BOUGHT a new Honda Civic and was racing his friend through the canyon to show off (Error #1). He was overconfident (Error #2) in the handling of a full (5 passengers, arguably Error #3, but I'll let that slide) front wheel drive vehicle when under heavy acceleration, while driving a road he had never been on (Error #3). When he got into trouble by putting too much input into the front axle (power+hard steering - resulted in sliding, Error #4), he tried to turn harder and power out of it (Error #5). He hit the tree offset frontal on the passenger side, spinning the car back into the road. The front passenger got the brunt of the brand new passenger air bag, and was having trouble breathing.

Right about this time my girlfriend and I came around the corner in my truck and noticed a car at a 45° to the lane, stopped, and lots of gravel on the road. Slowly we drove up and as the headlights from the wrecked car stopped blinding us we saw the damage. They asked if we had a cell phone, I said yes - but upon pulling it out I noticed "no signal". I told them this and they looked $#!+ scared, so I said "give me a minute" and pulled over. I knew in this canyon that there was a driveway about 20 feet to the right of the crash (the tree he hit was at the end of the driveway, yes tree lovers, it survived and lives to this day). As I was getting out of my truck, I overheard "Okay, get him to a hospital" and heard the clunk of doors closing on the other car. I took a quick hike up the hill to see if I could reach the cell tower over the next valley (which I barely did). Dialed 911, told them the road, the mile post marker, the address for the mail box at the bottom of the driveway and the condition of the car at the bottom of the hill, and the injury. The operator said she was going to dispatch fire and CHP (CHP is California's state police - this was a deep inter city canyon, county jurisdiction, but CHP can lend a hand anywhere). I asked the dispatcher if I could go down and attempt to render aid to the injured, and she released me to do so under the expectation/knowledge that once I left the hill-top I would be unreachable by phone.

When I got down hill, that was when the surprise hit. There was my truck parked 15 feet off the edge of the road with my girlfriend in it, and a wrecked dark-blue Civic WITH NO LIGHTS ON blocking the lane. None of the original parties from either car remained on the scene, and I didn't even have so much as a name of any of the people involved or even a headcount of how many people were there...

At the time I was a Loss Prevention Officer for an electronics retailer, so I should have known better!!! Basically they dumped the accident scene on me without my knowledge. Sure I could have hopped in the truck and took off like a jerk, but that's not me, that's not right - and let's be honest I already called it in so I wouldn't take a genius to figure out I was there...


So some quick an dirty points on marking the scene of an accident:

They left the door unlocked fortunately, so I pushed the hazard lights button and turned on the parking lights of the wrecked car. I backed my truck up about 70 feet from the wreck, pointed my high-beams at it put the parking brake on and left the engine running with the girlfriend in it. Got out my 30 minute flares (not the normal 15 minute ones the hardware store normally has), went uphill to about 250 feet from the wreck where there was a curve and put 2 flares (one lit) in the center of the lane dots - this keeps the flares from rolling (important as it was a high fire danger year). I repeated this every 50 feet until 50 feet from the wreck. I felt comfortable that the blocked lane now had some advanced warning and went and did the unblocked approach (where I came from) to give a bit of warning that something was happening ahead people needed to be careful with. Then I had to hike back up the hill and re-dial 911 to let them know the current situation had changed, my girlfriend followed me up the hill a ways with my one flashlight (we sure as **** weren't going to take on the LIABILITY of directing traffic). I happened to get the same operator as I had the first time, and she shared my exasperation at the wreck's driver and passengers for leaving (a crime). She said she'd call the local hospitals and update the units moving to me, thanked me and advised me return to my truck.

About the time I was thanking the dispatcher, I turned down the hill to a running girlfriend, wildly swinging my flashlight side to side - just as I was thinking "Gee, it looks like she's trying to flag someone down" I saw a CHP cruiser nearly run her over - I was just close enough to see the shock in the face of the driver and passenger officers...

In her excitement she forgot about her own safety, and very nearly paid the price for it. When I got down the hill I first scolded my girlfriend a bit for forgetting that she was essentially running into traffic, and with an agreeing nod from both of the nice CHP officers who were first to arrive on scene, I tucked her back into the safety on my pickup truck while one officer questioned me off to the side up the hill a bit (well out of any harm's way). The other officer was grabbing a few more flares to bulk up the roughly 1-hour run I had set on the road, and radioed in their status. I gave my statement and the CHP officers released us from the scene - then they told me the dispatcher had found the people who left the scene at a local hospital, and that the injury was at best superficial (the airbag only knocked the wind out of the front passenger and broke his nose, no-one else had a scratch). We all had a good moment to shake our heads at that news, then the CHP officers helped get us back on the road and waved us on.


I did a few things wrong that night myself:

1. I didn't take ANY notes (mental or otherwise) about what was happening, this made me a terrible witness. Absolutely useless - couldn't even remember what nationality the guy was I talked to about my cell phone.
   • I now use a dash cam, and am expanding it to five external cameras, plus two internal
2. I didn't get any information about the people I was calling in to 911 for, and in reality one of them should have accompanied me up the hill for the call to talk to the operator.
3. My wife was a little embarrassed at her excitement but otherwise lived (after years of putting up with me I had to marry her ), but we should have had a plan of where we were going to be and what we should have specifically been doing. CHP were dispatched because of my first call, there was no need to flag them down - it also could have caused a wreck if there was no room for the CHP officer to maneuver, I credit the officer's training in looking out for stuff like that for not hitting her (Thanks, never got his name).
4. I was wearing dark/comfortable clothes as is my custom - didn't make me very visible out there at 12:30 at night.
   • I now carry a high visibility yellow jacket in my truck, it's great as a rain coat and you can see it clearly day and night, I got my wife the orange version for her truck since she thought it made her "look like a cone".
5. I only had one flashlight
   • I now carry 2, plus 4x 15" green 8-hour glow sticks, and 8x 6" ultra-orange 5-minute sticks we can clip to the back of ourselves.
6. I really wasn't carrying enough flares, even though I was carrying a LOT of flares - I set 16 just that night.
   • I now carry 25, and order them by the case. I also carry two cases of 10" 2-hour red glow sticks as flare replacements.
7. I had no comms.
   • I now have two whip antennas with a cell amplifier, I have yet to find a place that I can't get a cell signal within 20 miles of normal service, my new trucks will have the same but improved capabilities
     
   • When traveling in areas where cell coverage is unlikely, I carry a Personal Locator Beacon, help is just clear sky and a button push away.

If something happens or you come upon something that has happened, you have to think your safety first, then the safety of those immediately around you, then the safety of those who come upon you - THEN you can start to deal with the individual problems.

Lastly keep yourself and those around you cool headed, think through your situation (worst case is usually the way to go), and:

 

[bikeman]

and road safe beacons (I can't remember the name) that have a red/amber light setup and can flash various patterns.

I went out to my truck to make sure I knew what I had... this is the website, got them on sale from somewhere... http://www.powerflare.com/

 

[JOECOOL48]

A friend gave me a Blazer Beacon Revolving Signal Light, Amber[FONT=Arial, sans-serif] that can be plugged into power point or hook to battery terminals. I keep all my safety kits in a box underneath the passenger seat of my M35A2, so I can get to it with out opening the door and sticking my big but out in traffic looking for what I need.[/FONT]

 

[Jeepsinker]

Another thing worth mentioning: when you come to a stop on a roadside, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS check your mirror and watch the traffic coming up behind you for at least 30 seconds or longer before opening your door or even unbuckling your seatbelt. If possible, exit the vehicle from the passenger side door, but again... Check the mirror before exiting on that side. You alone are responsible for your safety when stopped beside a thoroughfare and sometimes people will run down in the ditch along the passenger side of the stopped vehicle attempting to avoid a collision once they realize they screws up and are about to hit you.

 

[wheelspinner]

Jeep to jump on your comments thIs story is almost unbelievable:

Two weeks ago I was driving our Suburban towing a trailer in the mountains. I was maintaining 60 no problem. I had a semi passing me on the left; no issue right? ALL OF A SUDDEN in my RIGHT SIDE window is ANOTHER SEMI-on the shoulder passing me!!!!! I believe he came up on me too fast without paying attention and with the truck on my left he swerved right!!! Must have had some serious HP but come on! He dropped back fast and I never saw that truck again for another two hundred miles. I think he had to change shorts. True story. Even the shoulder isn't safe.

 

[rhurey]

I have seen troopers do this, when on the shoulder of a highway, they put their vehicle at a slight angle like pulling out into traffic kinda stance. Even turning the front wheels hard while it is parked, may slightly signal to drivers that it is not just another vehicle going down the road. Impaired drivers slam into the back of tractor trailers and cop cars parked straight on the shoulder thinking it is a moving vehicle in a lane. Stop where the traffic can see you far away if possible, in other words, don't pull over right after a slight hill on an interstate.

This is all about positioning their vehicle so when it gets hit, it will move away from where they are going to be.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Exactly. When I park on a shoulder I turn my wheel to the right though, so if it gets rear ended it will roll into the ditch instead of out into traffic causing an even larger and possibly deadly accident.

 

[Neophyte]

Excellent post. I always drive off the interstate with a flat. I've been a witness at a highway rear end accident (guy was changing rear driver side tire on a pickup, was hit, thrown through the back window of his truck while walking towards back). This happened in 1988 during broad daylight, will never forget it. With cell phones, texting, etc.......drive your vehicle off the interstate even if it costs a rim. Great ideas for safety, ordering the vest and cones!

 

[m1010plowboy]

I could go on for hours guiding new and visiting drivers but for now, just a couple of things coming from the north. This doesn't apply to Countries that drive on the "Other" side of the road.

Being in the "Right Lane" prepares you for a break-down and is a smart lane to be in. The benefits of 'right lane', smart lane driving keeps you out of the way of emergency vehicles, prepares you for a break-down, keeps you further away from opposing traffic, allows others to pass while you're busy learning, uses correct side of the road crown to 'direct' a skid to the shoulder/ditch, instead of opposing traffic, etc, ,,,,,,Keep Right Except to Pass

PULLING OVER FOR LEO

I'd like some LEO feedback on how and where we should pull over for you. You have control of 'when' you hit the lights so increasing training on when to initiate stops can only help the issue. I have very little experience with getting tickets but here are my thoughts;

After committing a driver offense and engaged by the Blue and Red of Law Enforcement : Pull over in an area where it is safe for the officer to give you your ticket. I'm not saying drive for an hour...1 minute of searching will help. Apply your right signal to acknowledge you see them and he will follow you to a safe spot. IF asked why you didn't stop immediately tell them "Dave from Canada said I should find a safe place for you to give me a ticket". If you were just involved in a pursuit and are a criminal, tell them you read it in a TM.

Find a parking lot, off-ramp, far off the shoulder if no areas off the highway are available. Park where LEO has room to park his vehicle safely and stop being such a doofus behind the wheel.

NEVER stop;

Under an underpass...too dark for approaching cars to see
At the bottom of a hill..... always stop where sight-lines for other drivers are greatest
Around a corner.........
On a narrow 2 lane un-divided highway....first of all leo should not engage you there but if they do, find a side road
On the "Centre" or "Left" side of the highway....If you read the first part you'd already be in the right lane

Too many folks panic when a Law Enforcement Officer engages them in a traffic stop.... Window open, all hands in the car where they can be seen, drivers on the wheel, apologize for your infraction if reasonable, accept ticket, say your salutations and carry on.

 

[cbear]

I could go on for hours guiding new and visiting drivers but for now, just a couple of things coming from the north. This doesn't apply to Countries that drive on the "Other" side of the road.

Being in the "Right Lane" prepares you for a break-down and is a smart lane to be in. The benefits of 'right lane', smart lane driving keeps you out of the way of emergency vehicles, prepares you for a break-down, keeps you further away from opposing traffic, allows others to pass while you're busy learning, uses correct side of the road crown to 'direct' a skid to the shoulder/ditch, instead of opposing traffic, etc, ,,,,,,Keep Right Except to Pass

PULLING OVER FOR LEO

I'd like some LEO feedback on how and where we should pull over for you. You have control of 'when' you hit the lights so increasing training on when to initiate stops can only help the issue. I have very little experience with getting tickets but here are my thoughts;

After committing a driver offense and engaged by the Blue and Red of Law Enforcement : Pull over in an area where it is safe for the officer to give you your ticket. I'm not saying drive for an hour...1 minute of searching will help. Apply your right signal to acknowledge you see them and he will follow you to a safe spot. IF asked why you didn't stop immediately tell them "Dave from Canada said I should find a safe place for you to give me a ticket". If you were just involved in a pursuit and are a criminal, tell them you read it in a TM.

Find a parking lot, off-ramp, far off the shoulder if no areas off the highway are available. Park where LEO has room to park his vehicle safely and stop being such a doofus behind the wheel.

NEVER stop;

Under an underpass...too dark for approaching cars to see
At the bottom of a hill..... always stop where sight-lines for other drivers are greatest
Around a corner.........
On a narrow 2 lane un-divided highway....first of all leo should not engage you there but if they do, find a side road
On the "Centre" or "Left" side of the highway....If you read the first part you'd already be in the right lane

Too many folks panic when a Law Enforcement Officer engages them in a traffic stop.... Window open, all hands in the car where they can be seen, drivers on the wheel, apologize for your infraction if reasonable, accept ticket, say your salutations and carry on.

I have been let go with a warning, specifically because I pulled to a safe area for the cop to do his job. The more you set them at ease, the nicer they might be.

If stopped on the shoulder at night in my car, I've learned that leaving the dome light on gets you noticed more than just hazards.

 

[foxtrk2]

hey guys great tips add this to the pile just got flash light at home depot today 1500 lumins led for 29.00 with strob built in and all alum construction made by defiant they have three different sizes but wow what a beam and brightness worth every penny

 

[rosco]

Great thread! Absolutely, if your pulled over at night by LEO, get to the safe spot with turn signal on, then flashers, along with the dome light on/hands on the wheel, window down, once you get stopped. If your on the side of the road, and have to be out, keep an eye out for traffic, but keeping in mind too, that because you just checked, & nobody was coming, @ 60 MPH, (thats a mile a minute), because nobody is visible, it only takes a minute, and they are on you! Another issue I have with the Drooling Idiots (good name, hope no offense is taken for borrowing it), is when I'm out there on the highway with a farm tractor, with flashers & SMV sign and all, I have learned not to use the side of the road, but to stay right in the middle of my (outside) lane. If I get over on the side with my 15 MPH tractor, they will pass me, three abreast, @ 60+MPH. I would rather take my chances that they see me, rather then encourage the three abreast thing.

 

[tim292stro]

2nd the dome light.

Also keep you reg+insurance in a simple transparent folio (I also keep a copy of my latest emissions test in there for CHP), when asked for license+registration+proof-of-insurance (standard cue), I state "It's in my glove box," and with one hand on the top of the steering wheel for balance I reach into the top of my glove box with my index finger and thumb on my other hand and pull out the folio and present it to the officer. Only then that I have provided 2/3 of what was requested do I retrieve my wallet for my license, again with only one hand - then hand the officer the license, placing the wallet on the top of the dash board.

Visibility of hands is one thing. Having your license+reg+insurance sticking out the window when the officer walks up... While convenient, shows the officer you've had a lot of practice with that part . A friend of mine a few years back realized late that he was about to miss his exit and shot across two lanes of freeway to take the exit just before the ice-cream stripes - a CHP cruiser quickly followed the move, to which my friend immediately slammed on his brakes and pulled to the shoulder. Having his documents out the window, the officer walks up saying "You're a piece of work aren't you?" Wisely, my friend said nothing as the officer walked back to his cruiser to check him out and write him up. He only said "I'm sorry, I won't do that again," as he singed the notice to appear and took the ticket and that probably kept him from having a worse day - at the time he was a bit of a pot-head (I never understood that about him).

 

[gimpyrobb]

Travel at speeds so you can see whats in front of you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9fI5M6_XVk

 

[Recovry4x4]

LEO and common sense LEO perspective on the traffic stops since it was brought up. If you anticipate being stopped, don't stop until the lights go on. Volunteering to stop because of a guilty conscience often catches the LEO off guard and disrupts the safe order of the stop. With that said, all to often younger LEOs feel the need to stop someone immediately regardless of dangers or traffic. Don't freak out and forget how to function. It's alright to be nervous, that's normal. LEO's have a PA system and will often use it to direct you to a parking lot or area off the main path. Listen or at least turn the rap down a bit so you can hear it. The problem with traffic and LEOs today is too much liberal use of emergency lighting. The motoring public has become desensitized to the lights. Nothing crazy, just old fashioned common sense here. One more thing for all drivers, please, please, please, don't use your 4 way flashers in bad weather unless there is a hazard. Again, this desensitizes the motoring public to the urgency that these should be used for. Driving really sucks when half the cars on the road in a rain shower have the flashers on.

 

[wheelspinner]

one more thing for all drivers, please, please, please, don't use your 4 way flashers in bad weather unless there is a hazard. Again, this desensitizes the motoring public to the urgency that these should be used for. Driving really sucks when half the cars on the road in a rain shower have the flashers on.

amen!

 

[aczlan]

a reflective orange or green vest is a good start.

Please get a certified class 3 vest, its only a few bucks more, but a class 3 vest has 100 more square inches of reflective material than a class 2 vest (~300square inches vs ~200) and adds reflective armbands. IMO, it is well worth the little extra cost over a class 1 or 2.
Some reading on the classes:

Wearer/Activities	Garment Class Type
Class 1: Workers where traffic does not exceed 25 mph and there is ample separation from the traffic. These workers often include parking service attendants, warehouse workers in traffic, shopping cart retrievers and those doing sidewalk maintenance.	Class 1: Garment must be relatively conspicuous, with background material equal to 217 in. in total area and retroreflective bands not less than 25mm wide.
Class 2: Workers who work near roadways where traffic exceeds 25 mph and workers who need greater visibility in inclement weather. In general, railway workers, school crossing guards, parking and toll gate personnel, airport ground crews and law enforcement personnel directing traffic.	Class 2: Greater visibility than the Class 1 garments. Background material must equal 755 in., and the minimum width of retroreflective bands is 35mm.
Class 3: Workers with high task loads in a wide range of weather conditions where traffic exceeds 50 mph. The standard recommends these garments for all roadway construction personnel, vehicle operators, utility workers, survey crews, emergency responders, railway workers and accident site investigators.	Class 3: Superior visibility–the highest level of conspicuity. Background material must total 1240 in. Garment must have sleeves with retroreflective material between the shoulders and elbows. The width of retroreflective bands shall not be less than 50mm wide.

I would put being stopped by the side of the road as a class 3 job.

Aaron Z

 

[Al Harvey]

One more thing for all drivers, please, please, please, don't use your 4 way flashers in bad weather unless there is a hazard. Again, this desensitizes the motoring public to the urgency that these should be used for. Driving really sucks when half the cars on the road in a rain shower have the flashers on.

amen!

Not only does it desensitize the motoring public, but on certain vehicles it overrides your brake lights so now I don't know when you start to hit your brakes. And on these newer cars they are rather blinding if your following someone running them.

I will only use the flashers if I am stopped for some reason in bad weather, not while I'm still moving since everyone else can see the bad weather too. lol

 

[quickfarms]

The problem with traffic and LEOs today is too much liberal use of emergency lighting. The motoring public has become desensitized to the lights. Nothing crazy, just old fashioned common sense here.

One more thing for all drivers, please, please, please, don't use your 4 way flashers in bad weather unless there is a hazard. Again, this desensitizes the motoring public to the urgency that these should be used for. Driving really sucks when half the cars on the road in a rain shower have the flashers on.

In recent years there has been an excessive use of flashing lights and now the color distinction has gone by the wayside. It used to be that work trucks used Amber, fire trucks red and the police used red and sometimes blue, now it is a mixed up mess. Fire trucks also used to be red and the USFS trucks were green. The white trucks are very hard to identify at a distance.

This problem with the lights is exasperated when the driver is impaired.

The use of flashers is legally required if you are traveling 15 mph or slower than the posted general speed limit. We have to use them on the mountain passes even though we are doing the truck speed limit.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Just for clarification, I'm assuming quickfarms is referring to CA in regards to the required use of flashers. No such statute exists in FL and I would imagine it varies greatly from state to state.