What Would You Do

[want-a-be]

Seen this the other day when a RV was entering the interstate from the on ramp. The traffic was heavy but a driver flash his head lights to the RV to enter the interstate, as the driver slowed down for the RV he got rear ended. The RV went on down the road, my question is should the RV have stop to tell what happen and to make sure no one was injured?

[sprintmod1]

3oaks wrote:


And ok, I'll say it. That driver on the interstate should have never slowed down. Should have just maintained their speed. It the responsibility of the traffic entering from on ramp to adjust their speed to safely merge with the flow of traffic on the interstate.

Incorrect. This exactly the problem. There are two pedals in your vehicle. Learn to use them and use some better judgement. If you do, driving would be much easier for all. Exit and entry ramps are all different. Short and long with long merge and short forced quick merge areas.

If you would be paying attention, slowing down and/or speeding up to help facilitate a merge spot for the vehicle trying to enter will make things much safer for all involved.

If there is no place for that vehicle to enter the roadway and is forced to stop, you have just taken away their ability to gain speed and enter safely at some point. Then, when they give up and decide to gas it and force a way onto the road, more danger is created as they have no speed at all and someone is going to have to give, or wreck.

If people would just get back to being a little more thoughtful about their driving, it would be a much more pleasurable and safer experience.

[rgatijnet1]

There are many reasons why a vehicle might slow down on a freeway, which is why you have to be vigilant of what is going on in front of you. It might be something laying in the highway, an emergency vehicle, a pedestrian, or someone changing a tire of a vehicle that has pulled off in to the grass, etc. Coming up to an interchange, you should always be more aware of what is going on because of the possibility that someone will be merging and that someone will either slow down or speed up to let this happen. In my opinion, the vehicle that struck the other vehicle in the rear was not using due care when driving on the freeway and hit a vehicle that had slowed down to allow the MH to merge.

[et2]

toedtoes wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

toedtoes wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
Being in a large RV in front of what was going on would provide very limited help in reporting the accident.

As for the details, the vehicle at the back was at fault, but the vehicle who slowed down to let the RV in should have been paying attention to what was going on behind him/her. Had they been paying attention they might have realized that slowing down was more dangerous than not letting the RV in because of the proximity of the other vehicle. Being nice is good, but it's amazing how often it actually makes things worse than just following the rules of the road.

So you think the guy that slowed was not following the rules of the road? Slowing to permit traffic to merge is legal.

Slowing down should not be necessary. When on a freeway, one should maintain a proper speed and a proper distance from the cars around you. Slowing down when there is a vehicle close behind you is creating a potential for an accident (which is exact!y what happened).

You realize we're talking about Class A motorhomes don't you? Too bad all freeway off ramps aren't down hill and a half mile long otherwise I'd be happy to agree with you. Otherwise, if people did not allow motorhomes and trucks to merge onto freeways then there would be lots more crashes than there are.

There is a big difference between allowing someone to merge and slowing down on the freeway. I always leave enough room from the car in front of me for someone to merge in. I also don't go so fast that another vehicle can't safely merge in front of me.

I am not saying the front car was at fault, but their actions did have an impact of the outcome.

A lot of assumptions are being made here. Driving on the freeway is never a perfect scenario. And if you think your actions are always the right one or the best one is your opinion.

Understanding you likely don't have much time knowing what's coming down the ramp from a ways back. I'd wager a bet that many drivers either ... Move to the next lane over ... Slow down to allow merging ... Speed up to allow merging ... Stay in lane at steady speed ( and that's probably the least done). It's never cut and dry. Personally I move over a lane if possible. Does that make me wrong?

The driver that hit the car was the "only one at fault" and should have been paying attention. Put the blame where it belongs. They were too close, distracted, nobody knows. The person that was hit did nothing wrong and didn't cause the accident nor partly to blame.

These thread always get dragged sideways with opinions. The question was "what would you do"? Would you stop?

[toedtoes]

msmith1199 wrote:

toedtoes wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
Being in a large RV in front of what was going on would provide very limited help in reporting the accident.

As for the details, the vehicle at the back was at fault, but the vehicle who slowed down to let the RV in should have been paying attention to what was going on behind him/her. Had they been paying attention they might have realized that slowing down was more dangerous than not letting the RV in because of the proximity of the other vehicle. Being nice is good, but it's amazing how often it actually makes things worse than just following the rules of the road.

So you think the guy that slowed was not following the rules of the road? Slowing to permit traffic to merge is legal.

Slowing down should not be necessary. When on a freeway, one should maintain a proper speed and a proper distance from the cars around you. Slowing down when there is a vehicle close behind you is creating a potential for an accident (which is exact!y what happened).

You realize we're talking about Class A motorhomes don't you? Too bad all freeway off ramps aren't down hill and a half mile long otherwise I'd be happy to agree with you. Otherwise, if people did not allow motorhomes and trucks to merge onto freeways then there would be lots more crashes than there are.

There is a big difference between allowing someone to merge and slowing down on the freeway. I always leave enough room from the car in front of me for someone to merge in. I also don't go so fast that another vehicle can't safely merge in front of me.

I am not saying the front car was at fault, but their actions did have an impact of the outcome.

[lj2654]

When I am entering an Interstate from an on ramp I try to get my speed up to merge in smoothly. When another vehicle slows down to let me in is dangerous for both of us. I would rather have him maintain their speed and I will merge in behind. I don't like it when I am in the right lane, traffic left of me and the guy comes down the on ramp slow and goes right in front of me continuing to go slow!

[msmith1199]

toedtoes wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
Being in a large RV in front of what was going on would provide very limited help in reporting the accident.

As for the details, the vehicle at the back was at fault, but the vehicle who slowed down to let the RV in should have been paying attention to what was going on behind him/her. Had they been paying attention they might have realized that slowing down was more dangerous than not letting the RV in because of the proximity of the other vehicle. Being nice is good, but it's amazing how often it actually makes things worse than just following the rules of the road.

So you think the guy that slowed was not following the rules of the road? Slowing to permit traffic to merge is legal.

Slowing down should not be necessary. When on a freeway, one should maintain a proper speed and a proper distance from the cars around you. Slowing down when there is a vehicle close behind you is creating a potential for an accident (which is exact!y what happened).

You realize we're talking about Class A motorhomes don't you? Too bad all freeway off ramps aren't down hill and a half mile long otherwise I'd be happy to agree with you. Otherwise, if people did not allow motorhomes and trucks to merge onto freeways then there would be lots more crashes than there are.

[msmith1199]

.

[et2]

The traffic on the highway has the right of way. There's no law stating you "can't " slow down. You have every responsibility to pay attention when driving. Hitting someone from behind isn't paying attention and your fault.

The guy didn't do anything illegal. Maybe not the best decision. The person rear ending them bears the responsibility. No the MH should have kept on going.

[time2roll]

toedtoes wrote:
If proper distances are maintained between vehicles, then merging is very easy to do. Riding on bumpers, especially in heavy traffic, just creates problems.

+1
If abrupt changes of speed are needed for merging you are too fast and too close.
Especially for the person following that did the damage.

[toedtoes]

Tyler0215 wrote:
3oaks is right ,don't slow down to let a vehicle merge. The vehicle on the ramp should speed up or slow down to merge with the traffic.
When Im entering an interstate I try to as close to the speed limit as possible before the end of the ramp. It's not always possible but at the top of the ramp, PUNCH IT!

If proper distances are maintained between vehicles, then merging is very easy to do. Riding on bumpers, especially in heavy traffice, just creates problems.

[toedtoes]

msmith1199 wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
Being in a large RV in front of what was going on would provide very limited help in reporting the accident.

As for the details, the vehicle at the back was at fault, but the vehicle who slowed down to let the RV in should have been paying attention to what was going on behind him/her. Had they been paying attention they might have realized that slowing down was more dangerous than not letting the RV in because of the proximity of the other vehicle. Being nice is good, but it's amazing how often it actually makes things worse than just following the rules of the road.

So you think the guy that slowed was not following the rules of the road? Slowing to permit traffic to merge is legal.

Slowing down should not be necessary. When on a freeway, one should maintain a proper speed and a proper distance from the cars around you. Slowing down when there is a vehicle close behind you is creating a potential for an accident (which is exact!y what happened).

[Tyler0215]

3oaks is right ,don't slow down to let a vehicle merge. The vehicle on the ramp should speed up or slow down to merge with the traffic.
When Im entering an interstate I try to as close to the speed limit as possible before the end of the ramp. It's not always possible but at the top of the ramp, PUNCH IT!

[msmith1199]

toedtoes wrote:
Being in a large RV in front of what was going on would provide very limited help in reporting the accident.

As for the details, the vehicle at the back was at fault, but the vehicle who slowed down to let the RV in should have been paying attention to what was going on behind him/her. Had they been paying attention they might have realized that slowing down was more dangerous than not letting the RV in because of the proximity of the other vehicle. Being nice is good, but it's amazing how often it actually makes things worse than just following the rules of the road.

So you think the guy that slowed was not following the rules of the road? Slowing to permit traffic to merge is legal.

[rk911]

AllegroD wrote:
It would have been nice.

assuming the RV driver even knew what happened.

[3oaks]

NMDriver wrote:

toedtoes wrote:

Being nice is good, but it's amazing how often it actually makes things worse than just following the rules of the road.

absolutely!

I totally agree!

And ok, I'll say it. That driver on the interstate should have never slowed down. Should have just maintained their speed. It the responsibility of the traffic entering from on ramp to adjust their speed to safely merge with the flow of traffic on the interstate.