Rest Areas Safe?

You take a chance anywhere you stop, even if it was in front of a police station this day & time.

When your tired though, any place is better than falling asleep & having a crash.
All the years I drove trucks, normally I didnt have the option of stopping, beating myself, hanging my head out the window trying to stay awake, but those days are gone now & I dont have to do that anymore, so if the rest area is some distance from a city or town, I'm stopping if need to.
Neil

Mostly no and many only allow a 4 hour stop max. And you always get a truck pulling close and idling for hours. Many truckers think they own large parking spots on the highways.

28½ years as a LEO and that is what we use 95% of the time in our travels from point A to point B. Have NEVER felt threatened or uncomfortable in a rest area, but can NOT say the same for camp grounds.

Also, most of the signs limiting the length of stay are a LE tool to keep the mobile homeless from setting up camp, NOT to stop the traveler from getting some rest. I know for a fact the 3 hour time limit in FL is just that, not a law, but a FDOT rule to assist law enforcement. The only state I know of that actually had a law with a time limit was CT and they had to change it as the Feds sued them over their enforcing it on OTR truckers.

Your question is way to broad to be answered. Rest areas open to all traveling public without any security can be dangerous. One rest area I know about has an area reserved just for RV's and the entire rest area is constantly patrolled by a marked car and armed security person. About once every 20 minutes that car drove by. Very safe! Another rest area down the highway about 45 miles has no security and is in a marginal part of town. Very dangerous.

As with anything, some are and some are not. Depends on the location. Trust your gut instinct and you'll be OK.

May of them prohibit overnite stays. I wouldn't do it unless it were an emergency. I caught a trucker (on the rear camera) trying to pull the pins on my tow gear. I always check my gear before leaving a rest stop. Another issue is noise. The trucks coming and going all nite would be enough to keep me awake. Also there usually isn't room to out a slide out either.
Ron

RE-TE wrote:
How safe are restareas to stop in at night and get a few hours sleep?

It varys! Ive stayed all night in some that were bank vault safe....and others that Ive pulled into...I stayed just long enough to use the commode and away I went.

A LOT depends on just where you are...

in my opinion, not very. got any buddies in law enforcement? ask them. others will feel differently. IMO you'd be better off in a wal mart lot, flying j or an actual campground.