Be careful where you pull over...

If you pull over on the freeway due to a breakdown or when pulled over
by a police officer, choose the place carefully.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...a/10377477.htm

The place where the crashes described in the article occurred was a
somewhat curvy freeway. The article does not say exactly where, but
it could have been a place where the freeway makes a right curve around
a hill that blocks the view. The freeway is downhill in this area, so
it would have been possible to coast a broken down car for a while
(perhaps even down the next off-ramp).

Other extra dangerous places to pull over would be where there are no
shoulders or narrow shoulders, just past a hill top, or near an on-ramp
where drivers are busy looking around to merge into traffic and may be
less likely to notice a broken down car in the shoulder area that they
may be squeezed into if they cannot find a gap to merge into.

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy J. Lee
Unsolicited bulk or commercial email is not welcome.
No warranty of any kind is provided with this message.

On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 04:48:29 -0800, Scott en Aztlán
> wrote:

>On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 06:35:16 GMT, (Timothy J. Lee)
>wrote:
>
>>If you pull over on the freeway due to a breakdown or when pulled over
>>by a police officer, choose the place carefully.
>>
>>http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...a/10377477.htm
>
>>California Highway Patrol said an officer had pulled up behind a Ford
>>Focus to wait for a tow truck because the officer was concerned that
>>the car's location on the right shoulder of eastbound Highway 92, just
>>east of Hillsdale Boulevard, was unsafe, given the heavy traffic and
>>the bad weather.
>>
>>As the officer waited, a gray Mitsubishi Lancer that the CHP says was
>>driving too fast rear-ended patrol car. The injured officer was sent to
>>a local hospital for unspecified injuries.
>>
>>Moments after that crash, another vehicle struck the Mitsubishi that had
>>come to rest on the right shoulder. That was followed by several more
>>collisions, including one involving three vehicles.
>>
>>Officers were investigating that wreck when, at about 7:30 p.m., a
>>two-axel utility truck, trying to avoid a six-vehicle crash in the roadway,
>>swerved to the right shoulder. The truck went airborne and struck a
>>white Saturn sedan on the right shoulder that had been involved in the
>>three-car crash.
>>
>>The truck continued through the air and slammed a CHP car parked in
>>front of the Saturn, pushing toward the guardrail. Standing between
>>the CHP car and the guardrail was the Saturn's owner, a 22-year-old
>>woman. The Union City resident was pinned between the patrol car and the guardrail.
>
>For a minute there I thought I was reading the script for a new Blues
>Brothers movie...
>
>>The place where the crashes described in the article occurred was a
>>somewhat curvy freeway. The article does not say exactly where, but
>>it could have been a place where the freeway makes a right curve around
>>a hill that blocks the view. The freeway is downhill in this area, so
>>it would have been possible to coast a broken down car for a while
>>(perhaps even down the next off-ramp).
>
>Depends on the breakdown. If you were driving a Dodge Durango and your
>front wheel fell off, I'm guessing you wouldn't be able to roll very
>far, even downhill.


Could roll end over end? But that is an ugly visual....


later,


tom @ www.CarFleaMarket.com

On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 04:48:29 -0800, Scott en Aztlán
> wrote:

>On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 06:35:16 GMT, (Timothy J. Lee)
>wrote:
>
>>If you pull over on the freeway due to a breakdown or when pulled over
>>by a police officer, choose the place carefully.
>>
>>http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...a/10377477.htm
>
>>California Highway Patrol said an officer had pulled up behind a Ford
>>Focus to wait for a tow truck because the officer was concerned that
>>the car's location on the right shoulder of eastbound Highway 92, just
>>east of Hillsdale Boulevard, was unsafe, given the heavy traffic and
>>the bad weather.
>>
>>As the officer waited, a gray Mitsubishi Lancer that the CHP says was
>>driving too fast rear-ended patrol car. The injured officer was sent to
>>a local hospital for unspecified injuries.
>>
>>Moments after that crash, another vehicle struck the Mitsubishi that had
>>come to rest on the right shoulder. That was followed by several more
>>collisions, including one involving three vehicles.
>>
>>Officers were investigating that wreck when, at about 7:30 p.m., a
>>two-axel utility truck, trying to avoid a six-vehicle crash in the roadway,
>>swerved to the right shoulder. The truck went airborne and struck a
>>white Saturn sedan on the right shoulder that had been involved in the
>>three-car crash.
>>
>>The truck continued through the air and slammed a CHP car parked in
>>front of the Saturn, pushing toward the guardrail. Standing between
>>the CHP car and the guardrail was the Saturn's owner, a 22-year-old
>>woman. The Union City resident was pinned between the patrol car and the guardrail.
>
>For a minute there I thought I was reading the script for a new Blues
>Brothers movie...
>
>>The place where the crashes described in the article occurred was a
>>somewhat curvy freeway. The article does not say exactly where, but
>>it could have been a place where the freeway makes a right curve around
>>a hill that blocks the view. The freeway is downhill in this area, so
>>it would have been possible to coast a broken down car for a while
>>(perhaps even down the next off-ramp).
>
>Depends on the breakdown. If you were driving a Dodge Durango and your
>front wheel fell off, I'm guessing you wouldn't be able to roll very
>far, even downhill.


Could roll end over end? But that is an ugly visual....


later,


tom @ www.CarFleaMarket.com

>>Depends on the breakdown. If you were driving a Dodge Durango and your
>>front wheel fell off, I'm guessing you wouldn't be able to roll very
>>far, even downhill.
>
>
>Could roll end over end? But that is an ugly visual....
>

A Durango is an ugly visual from any point.
--
"If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot 'em?"

>>Depends on the breakdown. If you were driving a Dodge Durango and your
>>front wheel fell off, I'm guessing you wouldn't be able to roll very
>>far, even downhill.
>
>
>Could roll end over end? But that is an ugly visual....
>

A Durango is an ugly visual from any point.
--
"If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot 'em?"

"Timothy J. Lee" > wrote in message
...
> If you pull over on the freeway due to a breakdown or when pulled over
> by a police officer, choose the place carefully.
>
> http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...a/10377477.htm

All the reason why a hazard warning triangle (not flares!) are MANDATORY in
Continental Europe for both 'carriage' and 'placement' at breakdowns in
Europe. Some exemptions can be made - the elderly, safety, etc...

The following (below) is taught to Euro continental driver's at an early
stage, NSW Australia will do this next year in its driver manual. One day,
we will begin to have pupils actually hold the unit 'facing traffic' whilst
setting off to place it in a mock situation <and when returning it to store>
(aids pedestrian safety), and then have them physically place the unit
properly-'facing traffic'. Will take a couple of years to fully implement;
They are taught in order-

* Switch off the ignition of immobilized crashed vehicles; and
* Activate that vehicles hazard warning lights, where functioning; and
* Use a CB radios recognised 'road channel' to alert approaching traffic;
then
* Wear the vehicles 'safety vest'; and
* Generally, move people out of the vehicle - away from traffic, behind
barrier if possible; and then
* Place the hazard warning triangle up to 50 metres away in a built-up area
and up to 150 metres away outside built-up areas, or on high-speed roads.

The ECE (UN/ECE) triangle is used. (UN/ECE27R)
Examples:
http://www.suwary.com/

http://www.gebra.com/ Suppliers to BMW worldwide, cept for North
America.....

http://www.hella.com.au/cgi-bin/cata...ew&flmaint=151
(UNECE version 'Part No. 2901')

Hella USA 'Part No 84303', not as effective against wind buffeting,
reflectivity nor does the daytime inner triangle fluorescence performance
compare to UNECE, but is double faced and better than nothing.
(Insufficient in performance to be recognised into UN/ECE regulations).

Many more suppliers...

R, JP
AUS

"Timothy J. Lee" > wrote in message
...
> If you pull over on the freeway due to a breakdown or when pulled over
> by a police officer, choose the place carefully.
>
> http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...a/10377477.htm

All the reason why a hazard warning triangle (not flares!) are MANDATORY in
Continental Europe for both 'carriage' and 'placement' at breakdowns in
Europe. Some exemptions can be made - the elderly, safety, etc...

The following (below) is taught to Euro continental driver's at an early
stage, NSW Australia will do this next year in its driver manual. One day,
we will begin to have pupils actually hold the unit 'facing traffic' whilst
setting off to place it in a mock situation <and when returning it to store>
(aids pedestrian safety), and then have them physically place the unit
properly-'facing traffic'. Will take a couple of years to fully implement;
They are taught in order-

* Switch off the ignition of immobilized crashed vehicles; and
* Activate that vehicles hazard warning lights, where functioning; and
* Use a CB radios recognised 'road channel' to alert approaching traffic;
then
* Wear the vehicles 'safety vest'; and
* Generally, move people out of the vehicle - away from traffic, behind
barrier if possible; and then
* Place the hazard warning triangle up to 50 metres away in a built-up area
and up to 150 metres away outside built-up areas, or on high-speed roads.

The ECE (UN/ECE) triangle is used. (UN/ECE27R)
Examples:
http://www.suwary.com/

http://www.gebra.com/ Suppliers to BMW worldwide, cept for North
America.....

http://www.hella.com.au/cgi-bin/cata...ew&flmaint=151
(UNECE version 'Part No. 2901')

Hella USA 'Part No 84303', not as effective against wind buffeting,
reflectivity nor does the daytime inner triangle fluorescence performance
compare to UNECE, but is double faced and better than nothing.
(Insufficient in performance to be recognised into UN/ECE regulations).

Many more suppliers...

R, JP
AUS

"Scott en Aztlán" > wrote in message
...
| >(perhaps even down the next off-ramp).
|
| Depends on the breakdown. If you were driving a Dodge Durango and your
| front wheel fell off, I'm guessing you wouldn't be able to roll very
| far, even downhill.
|

I bet you would "roll"...in a difference way though.

"Scott en Aztlán" > wrote in message
...
| >(perhaps even down the next off-ramp).
|
| Depends on the breakdown. If you were driving a Dodge Durango and your
| front wheel fell off, I'm guessing you wouldn't be able to roll very
| far, even downhill.
|

I bet you would "roll"...in a difference way though.

Off topic question:

I often see cars pulled over, unoccupied, with a bright orange sticker
on the back windshield. There are words on the sticker, but they
aren't readable from a distance.

Anyone know what these are? I've seen this in several New England
states.