Construction zone and accidents

Saturday I went to Plainfield to help my boy move. It's an hour trip from Terre Haute is I take I 70. Well traffic was backed up on east I 70 at exit 11, so I got off and took US 40.

On the way back I decided to check google maps on smart phone. This time west I 70 west was backed up near the same exit construction zone. One semi rammed into the back of the two semis in front of him. Created a fiery mess not only on 70 but a mess with all the traffic normally on 70 using 40. Took me 2 hours to get home because of the grid lock at stop lights on 40.

I have to go to Plainfield this morning. Definitely going to check google maps and decide which way I'm going. May play it safe and go 40 and avoid suicide 70.

State police on news said people need to slow down at construction sites.

geo

We had a truck driver wipe out 6 people, IIRC, at a construction site up here a couple years back. I imagine he was updating his electronic log or getting electronic orders and simply drove into the back of stopped traffic. Could as easily have been a person texting or a drunk. In any case, people need to wake up out there.

I reckon I'm a 'throwback' but some of you may remember a time when there were no Interstate Highways and all traffic was routed on U.S. 2 lanes--sometimes 4 lanes around large cities. You'll recall coming upon a semi that would race down the hills and slow going up; the six banger 'gassers' were not too powerful. Most freight, seriously, went by rail. Biggest danger back 'when' was topping a hill and here was a tractor going maybe 15 miles per hour. It was far worse for the Farmer to get rear-ended. Our Interstates 'solved' that at the expense of losing our railroads, the most efficient way of transport, in favor of Door to Door delivery. Can you imagine how efficient the Railroads would be if they'd had computers and GPS?

I have to drive I-70 east of Columbus, OH every work day. Seldom does a day go by that some moron doesn't nearly hit me or someone else driving near me. I've only been hit once, several years ago, but no damage (slow speed during a traffic backup, hit in the rear end). "Suicide 70" is a good name for it.

There is usually plenty of warning of construction. The fools won't slow down, try and pass those who do, and almost always follow to close especially if traffic is heavy. Two to three seconds following time. And then you got the fools who got to be talking or texting on their phone. When did "driving is a full time job" go away?

It isn't just a need to slow down. The biggest factor I see on I 40 in construction zones is idiots refuse to pay attention to the flashing sign's telling them to get over cause one lane is closed ahead. Half the folks keep barreling ahead in the lane they know is going to run out so they can get there first. Then when the lane runs out they are diving in between any car that has three feet of room. They assume if they can get the corner of their front end in the other driver will hit the brakes and let them the rest of the way in. When they do that one lane that could be running 55 drops almost to a standstill. When they don't there's a crash and still a standstill. Then all it takes is someone a mile back down the road not paying close attention and the rear end happens.

If it was up to me there would be twenty troopers ticketing anyone as fast as they can in the closing lane half a mile past where they were first told to get over. That alone would fix the slowdown and wrecks in construction zones.

I have called I70 the most dangerous highway in the state of Ohio for years. I don't drive the interstates unless there is no other way to get where I need to go.

You don't think that twenty cars pulled over and stopping up the lanes will slow things down too?

Troopers won't pull anyone over in a construction zone because that's as good as a wreck for slowing things down.

Especially once they figure out how to move the track to where they are going.

I worked for over 20 years for our local County,,, when you are working on a active road you are always on the lookout for someone not paying attention, we also had LOTS of them that worked at the local Coal mines who were really upset you were and I quote " You are in My Way, and I pay your wage so MOVE NOW" it really helps to put yourself in the workers shoes and if those who drive like they have no brains would spend a day working in a construction zone things would be much better,, same with trucks,,, if people really knew how it is to control all that weight and mass they would not be near as Dumb as they are thinking that 100,000 lb machine stops like your family car does
cnt

True!

Five people were killed near North Platte, NE on I-80 earlier this summer when an 18 wheeler ran into the back of a car slowed down for construction. There was no evidence the driver even tried to slow down, he just drove into them at full bore. He had to have been on his cell phone or laptop.

As I recall, he was charged with five counts of motor vehicle homicide.

Bingo, Waldo.

Additionally, most of the professional drivers at that time were hourly and drove professionally. These days, most are paid by the mile and drive accordingly. It gets worse every year.

Dean

FOR WHAT ITS WORTH AROUND ME SCHOOL AND CONSTRUCTION ZONE YOU WILL SLOW DOWN!!! They do have staties there they will write you up AND FINES ARE DOUBLED FOR THE OFFENCES!!!! YES THE STATIES HAVE TO SPEND QUITE A BIT OF TIME THERE AND YES THEY CARRY A FEW SPARE TICKET BOOKS!!!!

we have those rules here still does little for people who think they do not have to slow down as they are "above" that
cnt

Here in NW Indiana I have seen state troopers setting in construction zones and radio a head and stop them after they have gotten through the construction
site.

Two women and 4 little girls. Burned to death. I went by there about twenty minutes after the accident.

Suggestion: If you are stopped keep your foot on the brake so your tail lights stay on. If you are going sloe in traffic, put your 4-ways on. May save your life.

I'll agree the same idiots you see behind the wheel at every intersection can be found in construction zones. Construction zones have their own brand of idoits drawing plans and driving equipment. Right out of the blocks they change grade of road,delaying project even longer. If road bed is raised,they spend weeks digging it out and hauling it away until new road sit's in a ditch to flood when it rains. If road bed is at same elivation as surounding land they spend weeks hauling in fill to raise it. The crews reconfigure lanes on a daily scedule. Move barrels but leave button reflectors and strips that were painted 3 days earlier. Come night,it's next to impossible to tell where lanes are with them switching back and forth accross strip and reflectors. That is unless mud tracked into lanes has covered markers. Now there's two kinds of idiots at one location,what else would you expect? Did you notice how many crashes mention in this thread involve semi trucks? That might be in large due to giving licenses to people that couldn't drive period before they decided to sign up for 4 weeks goverment subsdized truck driver training. Yup,it's a dangerous world out there on the road and will get worse unless we do something about it. Many drivers consider lawyer fees to beat tickets simply overhead same as tires,insurance and fuel. You and I both know there's no reason for granting deffered ajudication for some offenses. Tickets for passing on the shoulder and such should rank up there with DUI if we are serious about getting the attention of bad drivers.As for fines,secound offense in 3 years should also require a few hours jail time or communty service standing in a construction zone hoping they are not killed by drivers like themselves.

I live beside a state hiway that was closed just past my house to repair a bridge a couple weeks ago. I would get a 100 cars and trucks a day driving around the road closed sign a quarter mile from my house and turning around in my two driveways. They would turn in my grass,sink into the mud missing the driveway.Semi trucks would try to back a 53 ft trailer into my yard.I called the sheriff,but they did nothing.I finally put some wood skids in my driveway to keep them out.That didn't work well either as they would back into the grass beside the skids.

I agree with your comments. Of course I could be biased, as I am one of those idiots as mentioned above who work on these roads. All people know is they need to get from A to B and you are in their way. Everyone is in a hurry to go nowhere. Can't even begin to count the times names and rude comments have been directed toward us. People complain if the roads are in bad shape and they complain if we are out there trying to fix them. It is a thankless job. If people would slow down and pay attention traffic will and does move smoothly. We are not out there just to make your day miserable. I don't come to your job and give you grief so don't come to mine and be rude and nasty. If you have something to say, stop and say it face to face and not like a coward and yell and swear as you drive away.

People think they know everything about what we are doing and try to tell us how to do our job. All they need to do is slow down, pay attention and move along. You can only imagine the things I have seen people doing as they are going through a zone. We have families to get home to as well, so try and give us a break. Again I am probably biased but this is from my experience

Excellent advice, Ted!!

In Germany they have what is called the zipper effect and it is the law and what I saw were cameras, very effective!

I slow way down when I get to where the workers are standing. One time just as I got up to the workers who were patching a hole in the right lane I went off on the left shoulder a bit to be sure I was far enough away from them. A horn honked and a woman went around me on the shoulder I was creeping over onto. There I was, workers on my right and this dumb woman passing me on the left shoulder. I could see the workers frozen in place watching her drive away. Then she went about a mile and turned off on a side road. There some things we never forget. I very seldom will degrade a person but this woman deserves it.

Jeff, I know EXACTLY how you feel! You couldn't have stated it any better.

Ross

On the way back from Plainfield today I went past where the accident occurred. It's just after the 19 mile marker on the west bound I 70. The fire burnt a section of the black top making it rough. You could also see burn places on side of road. About a mile or so is construction on a bridge and the two lanes merge to one, speed limit is 55. That must have produced a back up and one semi didn't slow down, rear ending two semis.

One of the biggest problems I see(after stupid drivers)is state road workers not putting up signs when they should,when I have to come to a complete stop, and I can see the Road Construction Ahead sign a 1/4 mile ahead of me. IL is one of the worst.

I work road construction also, you have said it very well. They will stop for a squirrel on the road, but drive seventy miles per two feet away from a worker on the road.