Another ABRUPT Braking Situation

[SpeakEasy]

Yesterday I was on my way home from a camping trip about 3:00PM towing my 4300-lb (weighed) travel trailer. I was on a rural road that was winding and hilly; the speed limit was 55MPH. I was pretty much traveling at the speed limit. On the uphill climbs I was really powering into them to keep my speed from dropping too much.

I came to the crest of a hill, and around a blind curve ahead there was a stopped school bus with lights flashing and stop sign deployed. It was in my lane, heading the same direction as me, and there was a car stopped behind it.

I had to slam on the brakes to their maximum in order to be able to stop.

For a split second I was unsure I'd have enough room to come to a complete stop, and I did a quick visual check to see whether to use the opposite lane or the shoulder for an emergency. On what side were the children?

Fortunately, I was able to stop safely.

I was very glad for a number of things: (1) all my gear worked as it was supposed to; (2) I am within my weight limits; (3) I was paying full attention to the road.

If any one of those three elements had not been true, there could have been a bad ending.

Be careful out there, especially during school transportation times.

-Speak

[Biker1mike]

Yikes. Send a note to the school district you were in. I live on a double s curve with steep grades. Speed limit is 55 but the big rigs roll even faster that that.
Our school district and bus company came out with tape measures to set the new bus stops. It can take almost 600 feet to stop a big rig at 65 mph. Our school wants as close as possible to 1000 feet of visibility for a bus stop.
Our bus stop is now across the road on a side street. A pain in the neck to walk to in the rain or snow but much better than risking 40 kids in a bus on a blind corner.

Glad you could stop.

[CavemanCharlie]

down home wrote:
Day afore Yesterday, we had a semi pass a car behind us and intended to pass us on three lane interstate.
He saw he had to turn into an inspection station and locked up his brakes coming from the left lane in front of us to the right lane and into the lane to the check station.
We stood on the brakes and just missed going under the semi trailer and being rolled over by its rear tires.
This is the reason when I drive I keep up a good interval using brakes and accelerator and making defensive moves long before they get right up to us.
She was driving and like most women waits til the last moment and insist on a certain speed regardless, of traffic around her, most of the time.
I might not have been able to do any better this instance though.
Hard to believe that Semi Driver did what he did. He was not making sound decisions.

He was probably over tired. The big companies are pushing these drivers harder, and harder, all the time.

[CavemanCharlie]

tinner12002 wrote:
Watch for slow moving farm equipment also as we will be getting into harvest season.

Oh HELL YES. I will be driving some of that slow moving equipment.

[down_home]

Day afore Yesterday, we had a semi pass a car behind us and intended to pass us on three lane interstate.
He saw he had to turn into an inspection station and locked up his brakes coming from the left lane in front of us to the right lane and into the lane to the check station.
We stood on the brakes and just missed going under the semi trailer and being rolled over by its rear tires.
This is the reason when I drive I keep up a good interval using brakes and accelerator and making defensive moves long before they get right up to us.
She was driving and like most women waits til the last moment and insist on a certain speed regardless, of traffic around her, most of the time.
I might not have been able to do any better this instance though.
Hard to believe that Semi Driver did what he did. He was not making sound decisions.

[tinner12002]

Watch for slow moving farm equipment also as we will be getting into harvest season.

[tinner12002]

jdavidsmi wrote:
As a part time School bus driver it always worries me when a stop is over the crest of a hill, or around a blind curve. I have all ways request a sign be installed when needed and now most of our rural stops around here now do. that being said the driver of the other vehicles have to be paying attention, very easy to miss a sign. But what is worst is the guy in such a hurry he passes time you put the sign in. what if a child was walking on the side on the road, or needed to return to the bus, could become a nightmare real quick.

It kinda crazy, you can get a sign put up by just requesting it and I've been trying to get a stop sign to get people slowed down in our neighborhood where kids cross to get on school bus but can't get it done.

[Harvey51]

Yes, thanks for the heads up.
Also, on narrow rural roads people mostly drive down the middle but the wise slow down and move to the side on curves and hills.

[CavemanCharlie]

I commend you for paying attention. Thanks for the reminder that we all need to do that.

A few weeks ago I met a man towing this TT with the Antennae still up. I waved to him desperately to try and get his attention. But, he was too bust looking down to see me.

I think he was texting on his cell phone.

[SpeakEasy]

naturist wrote:
I am very glad no accident ensued, and I'd like to suggest that when you are towing you should never try to drive the speed limit for the simple reason that your rig is not going to handle or stop as well as it does when you are not towing. This makes the legal speed, wherever you are, faster than the safe speed for YOU.

The fact that you had a close call but managed to stop in time just screams at me that you were going too fast for the conditions and for your rig. As you noted, a momentary lapse in attention, perhaps a glance at the radio dial, and there would have been a collision. Be kind to yourself, give yourself a bit more leeway by slowing down.

Yes; I agree. And I am resolving to drive more slowly now. That's part of the reason for this post. My advice to "be careful out there" is as much to myself as to anyone else.

Thanks for the advice.

-Speak

[naturist]

I am very glad no accident ensued, and I'd like to suggest that when you are towing you should never try to drive the speed limit for the simple reason that your rig is not going to handle or stop as well as it does when you are not towing. This makes the legal speed, wherever you are, faster than the safe speed for YOU.

The fact that you had a close call but managed to stop in time just screams at me that you were going too fast for the conditions and for your rig. As you noted, a momentary lapse in attention, perhaps a glance at the radio dial, and there would have been a collision. Be kind to yourself, give yourself a bit more leeway by slowing down.

[K_Charles]

The drivers manual use to say you should be able to stop in the distance you can see. You say you were "really powering into" and "blind curve", I don't think you were paying attention.

[Lynnmor]

I allow my speed to drop as I crest a hill for two reasons, limited sight distance and the excessive braking going down the other side. Drives the proctologists crazy, but I don't care.

[pianotuna]

I knock 10 mph off the speed limit. If folks end up behind me, I pull over and let them by (when there are 3).

[jdavidsmi]

As a part time School bus driver it always worries me when a stop is over the crest of a hill, or around a blind curve. I have all ways request a sign be installed when needed and now most of our rural stops around here now do. that being said the driver of the other vehicles have to be paying attention, very easy to miss a sign. But what is worst is the guy in such a hurry he passes time you put the sign in. what if a child was walking on the side on the road, or needed to return to the bus, could become a nightmare real quick.