Roadside safety: Stay Alive!

[quickfarms]

Guard rails can be your friend.

If you have to stop in front of the guard rail. It is best to get out of the vehicle and wait on the other side of the guard rail behind the disabled vehicle if there is room

I see a lot of people that sit on the guard rail or stay in there vehicle which is bad in this case.

If possible drive to the end of the guard rail and tuck the vehicle so the side of the vehicle is behind the line of the guard rail.

One thing that I was taught and believe is watch out for yourself. Assume the other drivers do not know you are there. I will always run a 2 man crew for safety even though the technology allows us to run a one man crew.

Be safe the roads are a dangerous and I have seen many wild things over the years and lost a few friends that were following all the rules.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Problem with people running flashers in inclement weather is that when someone does stop on the roadside and turn on their flashers, people think they are in a lane and moving with traffic up until they get over and slam into the parked vehicle.

 

[ODFever]

Jeepsinker - Thanks for starting this thread. Safety should always be our #1 priority. Our vehicles are designed to disappear in the dark. Sitting on the side of the road with no reflectors or safety gear in a truck painted in woodland camo is a recipe for disaster.

Over the past couple of days, I've spent some time researching collapsible safety cones and folding reflective triangles. I'm not sure which ones to buy. I know that something is better than nothing, but are there advantages to one vs other?

 

[Recovry4x4]

The cones have much better visibility in daylight and really good visibility at night if the light is working. The triangle reflectors are small in surface and at night only reflect. Impaired drivers are more likely to forget headlights than most operators.

 

[ODFever]

I'm also researching battery powered flashing LED amber warning lights to attach to the back of my truck while I'm driving at night. They don't have to be magnetic, but it would help. Could y'all post some suggestions? Kenny (or any other Florida LEO) - Is it legal to run amber flashing safety lights on the back of a vehicle while it is in motion?

 

[poppop]

I am required by law to run amber flashing lights front and rear day and night on my cotton module moving truck because it is overwidth and weight. I have to have a state issued permit to do so.

 

[Valence]

The next one and here goes the usurp, are these LED cones. Since I work at a port that has a fuel farm that provides fuel for 17 counties, we can't use fusees. My employer bought something like these. I thought they were corny at first but after the first use, I went searching for them. The link is to overstocks that will likely need new batteries but that's not a biggie. What you get for the money is 4 cones with internal lights, 4 top lights and 4 el cheapo but extremely visible traffic vests. Corny stuff? Maybe but they are extremely visible day and night. I know that the shipping seems ridiculous but its a big heavy box. Combined price is still a steal.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/111219483120?nav=SEARCH

As a maybe helpful FYI to those considering these:

I thought that these sounded like a great idea so I purchased 2 sets (one for deuce, one for wrecker). I just received them in the mail, but haven't had time to go through both boxes (4 per box). First thing I noticed is that indeed they have been sitting - as was advertised. They come with 2 AAA's installed in each cone and a CR2032 installed in each tip flasher. There also was an extra set of each battery provided, but 1 spare AAA had leaked. The AAA's were dated 2008 (presumably the expiration date), but still read 1.52V (a much newer set of AAAs I have in storage read ~1.62V for comparison). The CR2032 batteries read ~3.25V. So there definitely is plenty of life in the batteries, but some may have leaked due to age - and the seller indicated exactly so.

I was disappointed in that the batteries required removing screws to replace both in the cone and the tip flasher, which makes maintenance/upkeep more cumbersome.

As I've said though, I've only inspected 3 of the 8 I purchased and 2 of the tip flashers are inoperable due to cheap construction - I will need to at least resolder a wire on one and I'm not sure what's wrong with the other. For being new and unused and only stored for a long time this was very disappointing and I'll probably contact the seller after I've gone through everything.


But I will say that they're cool, and the flashing LEDs will make the cones more visible, but I'm not sure how well they'd hold up in rain though.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Laws regarding flashing lights and other warning devices are mandated by the individual 50 states. There is NO ONE LAW covering this topic nationwide.

Please do your appropriate STATE-specific research - They ALL have online data bases for their State Transportation Codes.

ALL 50 States have reciprocal agreements that the Laws applicable in the State in which the vehicle is REGISTERED will allow the carriage BUT NOT THE USE of devices authorized in the State of registration. In other words, (EXAMPLE) if your State allows RED LIGHTS on VFD Members' POVs, and you travel out of state, you CANNOT be ticketed for displaying RED LIGHTS in a state that prohibits them - HOWEVER, DO NOT LIGHT THEM UP when you are in such a prohibiting State.

KNOW the LAWS of your STATE ! ! !

DO NOT trust internet chatter that is not State-specific to YOUR LOCATION.

(Disclaimer: I am NOT a lawyer, nor am I representing myself nor rendering advice as an attorney. I am simply a lay hobbyist interested in the best interests of the Membership body.)

 

[cbear]

As a maybe helpful FYI to those considering these:

I thought that these sounded like a great idea so I purchased 2 sets (one for deuce, one for wrecker). I just received them in the mail, but haven't had time to go through both boxes (4 per box). First thing I noticed is that indeed they have been sitting - as was advertised. They come with 2 AAA's installed in each cone and a CR2032 installed in each tip flasher. There also was an extra set of each battery provided, but 1 spare AAA had leaked. The AAA's were dated 2008 (presumably the expiration date), but still read 1.52V (a much newer set of AAAs I have in storage read ~1.62V for comparison). The CR2032 batteries read ~3.25V. So there definitely is plenty of life in the batteries, but some may have leaked due to age - and the seller indicated exactly so.

I was disappointed in that the batteries required removing screws to replace both in the cone and the tip flasher, which makes maintenance/upkeep more cumbersome.

As I've said though, I've only inspected 3 of the 8 I purchased and 2 of the tip flashers are inoperable due to cheap construction - I will need to at least resolder a wire on one and I'm not sure what's wrong with the other. For being new and unused and only stored for a long time this was very disappointing and I'll probably contact the seller after I've gone through everything.


But I will say that they're cool, and the flashing LEDs will make the cones more visible, but I'm not sure how well they'd hold up in rain though.

I like the Energizer Lithium AA/AAA batteries for anything that will sit. They have an excellent shelf life, as well as extended power delivery. There only downside is once they are done, the voltage drop fast.

 

[Valence]

Here's a few photos of the collapsable cones that I meant to provide. Excuse the tape on the corner of the cone base - that's just to remind me of the installed batteries' expiration date.

There is an LED inside the cone base and the removable tip. You just press the power button to cycle through their settings of:

Strobe / solid on / off

They're still made in China, and even new I had to take the soldering iron to two of the tips to fix a contact or broken wire. I also had to fiddle and reseat about 1/2 of the tip's electronics (or screw the tip's base in tighter) for proper electrical contact and drill out the push button hole a little larger to make them operational (the holes were not in exactly the right place and would push too tightly against the push button, preventing it from working). Pretty cheaply made, but I don't feel bad for the price I paid (I bought 2 sets of 4, so 8 in total). The fixes were easy, but I still spent a couple hours to go through all the bases (4 screws each to change the old batteries), and tips (3 screws each to remove the super simple electronics and check the battery).

The cone bases are certainly heavier and feel better made. I had no issues with any of the bases.

 

[98G]

Laws regarding flashing lights and other warning devices are mandated by the individual 50 states. There is NO ONE LAW covering this topic nationwide.

Please do your appropriate STATE-specific research - They ALL have online data bases for their State Transportation Codes.

ALL 50 States have reciprocal agreements that the Laws applicable in the State in which the vehicle is REGISTERED will allow the carriage BUT NOT THE USE of devices authorized in the State of registration. In other words, (EXAMPLE) if your State allows RED LIGHTS on VFD Members' POVs, and you travel out of state, you CANNOT be ticketed for displaying RED LIGHTS in a state that prohibits them - HOWEVER, DO NOT LIGHT THEM UP when you are in such a prohibiting State.

KNOW the LAWS of your STATE ! ! !

DO NOT trust internet chatter that is not State-specific to YOUR LOCATION.

(Disclaimer: I am NOT a lawyer, nor am I representing myself nor rendering advice as an attorney. I am simply a lay hobbyist interested in the best interests of the Membership body.)

Another way to look at this is "what's the course of action LEAST LIKELY to result in injury or death?"

If in my judgment there's something that I can do that reduces risk of injury/death, but is illegal and may result in a ticket or a fine, then I will risk the ticket or fine rather than keeping my actions legal and risking injury or death.

Just a thought. Your priorities may differ...

 

[Artisan]

I have two safety vests, one was put into my M916 today...
I missed it my first go-round to Tucson, never again...

 

[Jeepsinker]

98, I fully agree and practice the same strategy.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Another way to look at this is "what's the course of action LEAST LIKELY to result in injury or death?"

If in my judgment there's something that I can do that reduces risk of injury/death, but is illegal and may result in a ticket or a fine, then I will risk the ticket or fine rather than keeping my actions legal and risking injury or death.

Just a thought. Your priorities may differ...

You raise a very good point.

However, without SPECIFIC circumstances being defined, suggestions of illegal activity cannot be endorsed. And the promotion of illegal actions or activities are in conflict with SS website rules.

We now return this thread to the OP's stated topic.

 

[Jeepsinker]

I will pose this question, as I am unsure of it one way or the other. Is it better to turn on any rear facing flood lights or work lights that are on the disabled vehicle, or better to leave them off? Logic says that any light that defines a fixed object and working people on a roadside is good, but personal experience tells me that such lights can be blinding and make it difficult to stay in the lane or make people have to slow down. Which is better practice?

 

[cbear]

I rear facing work light at night could mask a person that's beside the vehicle.

 

[Amer-team]

Here are a few ideas for some of the mentioned remedies. First thing that struck me was the advice on the Biker and helmet. If the person is responsive, leave the helmet, if the helmet strap is causing a restriction of the airway, you may need to at least loosen that. This is a case by case basis, but if there is a possibility of neck injury, you should stabilize in position. but you have to have an airway. Take a good first aid class if you are rusty on this. They can be taken either free or very inexpensively and you may save someones life.

Second there was advice on pulling your car behind the disabled vehicle, turning the wheels to the shoulder. There is a distance from the front of the second car to back of the other vehicle, it is called buffer space. The short is that if the second vehicle is too close and gets hit by another vehicle, not only is there a problem with vehicle one, but now your vehicle may run over you as well. Turning the wheels may help, along with leaving in gear, and setting the parking brake, but if buffer distance is too short, you are run over. We had an instance out here where a semi drifted onto the shoulder striking a Truck Mounted Attenuator truck, 1 1/2 size, with brake set and wheels turned and it knocked the TMA over 150 feet down the road. Had they been 20 or 30 feet behind the people they were protecting, the outcome could have been worse.

There was also a recommendation on flare setting distances and a recommendation of one as close as 50 feet. I would ask this question to my classes, in an emergency situation how close to the scene should you set out a flare. 50 feet was a common response. Next question was did you check for spilled fuel on the darkened roadway before you set your flare down. Just something to think about. The cyalumes are a great idea and all the battery powered aids are great as well. While all emergency situations are stand alone events and you are most likely not going to be prosecuted for something you did under the Good Samaritan laws, setting flares on centerline may not be the best idea if you are on a two lane two way roadway as you may confuse people as to which lane the accident is in and you may inadvertantly, in their confusion direct them into the oncoming open lane of traffic.

While each state does have its own emergency response laws, all states are governed by a document from the Federal Highways Administration called the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices MUTCD. This is nine chapters long and gives the basics of traffic control on everything from school zones to construction. There is great debate of who enforces this document, but if you have to go to court for violating these rules, you may have a bad day.

Thank you to the originator of this thread. With the size of some of the iron we are driving, safety has to be in the forefront at all times.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Folks, this thread has been great so far. In the near future I'm going to prune it down a bit and make it a sticky in this safety forum. For all those who contributed, thanks. For all those who gleaned info from it, share with others. Hopefully when new members come along, when we remind them to read the manual, we will also encourage them to read the stickies in this forum.

 

[tim292stro]

...Second there was advice on pulling your car behind the disabled vehicle, turning the wheels to the shoulder. There is a distance from the front of the second car to back of the other vehicle, it is called buffer space. The short is that if the second vehicle is too close and gets hit by another vehicle, not only is there a problem with vehicle one, but now your vehicle may run over you as well. Turning the wheels may help, along with leaving in gear, and setting the parking brake, but if buffer distance is too short, you are run over. We had an instance out here where a semi drifted onto the shoulder striking a Truck Mounted Attenuator truck, 1 1/2 size, with brake set and wheels turned and it knocked the TMA over 150 feet down the road. Had they been 20 or 30 feet behind the people they were protecting, the outcome could have been worse...

It is also my practice now to pull past the accident by several fire-truck lengths, rather than behind it. When I exit the vehicle I become the "Spotter" for the people I am talking to (since I'm less likely to be rattled), and if they are out of the vehicle I have them step well away from the accident. This can take vigilance, one accident I stopped for two years ago, the parents of the "victim" of the rear-end kept walking back to the car and standing between the two cars involved the accident. I had to keep reminding them to either get back in the lightly damaged car and fasten up or step away from traffic. There was no shoulder so other traffic on the expressway was still doing 40-50MPH less than 4 feet from the stopped vehicles, and the front end of the vehicle which rear-ended the victim had jagged plastic parts sticking out.

...There was also a recommendation on flare setting distances and a recommendation of one as close as 50 feet. I would ask this question to my classes, in an emergency situation how close to the scene should you set out a flare. 50 feet was a common response. Next question was did you check for spilled fuel on the darkened roadway before you set your flare down. Just something to think about...

And to add to this, it's not just enough to look for spilled fuel where it currently is - gasoline vapors are heavier than air, they will find low-lying areas and accumulate often with a vapor trial back to the source. Fuel can also run off in unexpected ways, thin about drainage piping as well - once fuel gets into those pipes if you're not a drainage worker familiar with the plumbing you could have fuel, vapors, and/or flames jump from one side of a road to another and even travel several hundred feet down the road. Placement of flares near an accident is a dangerous job - if you can't ensure that your placement is at high ground and far enough away from an accident to prevent a fire from starting (or a secondary fire as the case may be), use glow-sticks, cones, "LED-flares" - OR NOTHING.

...setting flares on center-line may not be the best idea if you are on a two lane two way roadway as you may confuse people as to which lane the accident is in and you may inadvertently, in their confusion direct them into the oncoming open lane of traffic...

And to reinforce the comment of "case-by-case basis", this was a specific case where the 45MPH road had a 25MPH "suggested" right hand and downwards turn which also banked to the right - where the collision was right at the end of the turn (right in the middle on an S-curve), there was no shoulder, and flammable brush was immediately off the pavement. The correct method is to set an angled line directing traffic away from the obstruction (if there is one) or to mark the edge parallel to traffic if the accident is off the road (in this case I would just save my flares though, since we are not required to mark an "off-road obstruction").

...all states are governed by a document from the Federal Highways Administration called the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices MUTCD...

And here is the link to where the Federal Highway Administration publishes the current PDF edition of this wonderful document.

 

[Amer-team]

You could also add a flaggers stop slow paddle to your safety kit. They make roll up models that stow well. Minimum size is by the MUTCD is 18 inches across. It has to have stop on one side and slow on the other. It would be nice if you took a Flagger class somewhere so that you knew the proper regulations for employing this tool. The classes usually run from 4 to 8 hours depending on the state. There are a couple of rules that we go by in training, that all drivers are drunk, stoned, or stupid. Remember that if you consider yourself and average or even better than average driver, think about how many that means are below your abilities. Are persons young or old, inexperienced, distracted, or otherwise impaired. It is thought in WA state that after 2 AM nearly half of the drivers may be impaired. Best case this can slow reaction time.

As a fun fact, if you arrive on an accident scene and choose to help, consider the rate of closure of vehicles approaching you. As a rule of thumb the vehicle is traveling in feet, about 1.5 times the speed limit. So if you are traveling 60 MPH, 60 X 1.5 = 90 feet per second. For the math majors it is really about 88 feet per second at 60. if you are 300 feet from them, they will get to you, if they are not forewarned, in about 3 seconds. Bottom line, personal safety first, then get to helping the others.