yup lots of high speed roads here (ok so highspeed does not applyhave no shoulder and it seems several folks a year get killed on the beltway and 95 fixing tires etc. I was once told it was better to ruin a rim and drive to a exit than risk doing anything on the beltway.
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin
Remember this motto to live by: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO- HOO what a ride!'"
In this case where he stopped was a construction zone through the Sprinfield interchange. I believe once construction is finished, the shoulder will be restored so VDOT isn't really as guilty as the article implies. People do a lot of stupid things (like drive around railroad crossing gates and change tires on busy streets) and the question is should we design roads to be idiot proof? I think the answer is no, because it can be expensive (imagine how difficult it would be to maintain shoulders though a construction zone) or impossible and thus people who do stupid things die.Originally posted by PlannerGirl
yup lots of high speed roads here (ok so highspeed does not apply
Contruction on freeways in metro Phoenix has emergency shoulders spaced about 1000 feet or more apart I think. Construction signage indicates how far to the next one, and they are on the left and right when there are 3 lanes or more. People still get hurt along roadways. Cars always win. Run flat tires anyone?
The problem is people are also just plain cheap. The advice of most law enforcement is in the situation where your tire goes flat on a freeway and there is no available shoulder is to keep driving (even if you chew up your wheel in the process) until you can pull off the roadway safely. Now, you'll probably have to replace the wheel and some people are just cheap. The other safe option is to stay inside your car put on your flashers and call for a tow to a safe place (where you can put the spare on), or get out of the car and jump over the guardrail and wait there (so if your car gets hit you are safe).
The issue is some people think about replacing a wheel or the cost of a emergency tow NOT their personal safety. Again, the world isn't idiot proof and if someone is dumb enough to change a tire on a ACTIVE lane of Interstate 95 just south the the beltway, then they are putting their life at risk. It tells me they are more concerned about their vehicle getting damaged (by another car hitting it) than their own personal safety.
Last edited by Dharmster; 03 Mar 2004 at 12:55 PM.
Shock! :-0
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