Cleanup of 5th wheel accident in California

[GordonThree]

Any details on what happened here?

https://youtu.be/DOnxT1S4Irw

[spoon059]

wnjj wrote:
https://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/811.260
Now you’ve seen one. Wait, you said “rule” so I agree with you. This is a law. Stop at yellow, unless it’s not safe to do so. Oregon law doesn’t address being partially in the intersection during red but the yellow duration is generally set so that you can get all the way through the intersection before red, with the exception of suddenly slowing traffic as you travel through or a long rig. In most cases you could have stopped safely. That all said, traffic lights have turned into “suggestions” around here the past few years and there’s far too many offenders for police to have any impact.

Point taken, you are right that the law does state to stop at the yellow light, which is incredibly stupid. The law then goes on to state that you don't have to stop at the signal. I've never seen a law that DIRECTLY CONTRADICTS ITSELF like this one...

Steady circular yellow signal. A driver facing a steady circular yellow signal light is thereby warned that the related right of way is being terminated and that a red or flashing red light will be shown immediately. A driver facing the light shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if none, shall stop before entering the marked crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or if there is no marked crosswalk, then before entering the intersection. If a driver cannot stop in safety, the driver may drive cautiously through the intersection.
So you absolutely HAVE to stop at a yellow light... but if you can't then you can drive through. Now sure how you can legally interpret that law.

But I humbly concede that both you and valhalla are right, such laws exist!

[GordonThree]

wnjj wrote:

spoon059 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
In most but not all states, the rule is you must stop on Yellow unless it's unsafe to do otherwise.

What? I have driven in 14 of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia. I also enforce traffic law in one of those states. Never once seen a "rule" that you must stop on yellow.

https://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/811.260
Now you’ve seen one.

Exactly the same in Michigan, yellow means STOP unless unsafe to do so. Michigan public act 300 of 1949

[goducks10]

ShinerBock wrote:
Okay, I gotta hear this. How does it being a Ford diesel have anything to do with the reason why the truck flipped? And how would a SRW GM or RAM would have kept it from flipping?

It doesn't. Just thought this thread might need another ridiculous comment.:)

[wnjj]

spoon059 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
In most but not all states, the rule is you must stop on Yellow unless it's unsafe to do otherwise.

What? I have driven in 14 of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia. I also enforce traffic law in one of those states. Never once seen a "rule" that you must stop on yellow.

You are required by law (not "rule") to stop at a red light. The purpose of the yellow light is to warn you that the light is about to change to red, thus giving you time to decide whether you are able to stop in time or if you have sufficient speed to cover the distance between you and the stop line.

Something that most people DON'T know... If *ANY* part of your vehicle crosses the stop line before the light turns red, you have not run the red light. If you are driving a 70 foot long rig down the highway, as long as the front portion of your vehicle has entered the intersection, you are legal. You don't have to get the entire 70 foot rig through the intersection before the light turns red, just the very front portion.

https://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/811.260
Now you’ve seen one. Wait, you said “rule” so I agree with you. This is a law. Stop at yellow, unless it’s not safe to do so. Oregon law doesn’t address being partially in the intersection during red but the yellow duration is generally set so that you can get all the way through the intersection before red, with the exception of suddenly slowing traffic as you travel through or a long rig. In most cases you could have stopped safely. That all said, traffic lights have turned into “suggestions” around here the past few years and there’s far too many offenders for police to have any impact.

[Wild_Card]

goducks10 wrote:
This is why I won't own a Ford diesel.

Please do enlighten us.

[spoon059]

BurbMan wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
The yellow time is typically set to account for perception/reaction time plus the time to come to a stop.

The issue is that many yellow light times are set too short...compounded by the fact that many roads regularly run faster than the speed limit.

It's not uncommon for the traffic on a 45 mph-limit road to run 55-60 on a regular basis. Cars today, even the cheap ones, perform so much better than the cars we drove when speed limits were set on these roads, it's no issue for a car to run 60 in a 45 and stop with ease, even in sub-par road conditions (rain, snow). The big rig guys (semis and RVs) run with the traffic and now don't have sufficient time to stop on yellow.

Not sure why state DOTs are determined to set yellow times at the minimum calculated times instead of making them a little longer and a little safer.

FYI, *TECHNICALLY* the speed limit is technically the maximum allowable speed in optimal conditions. Anything that makes it less than optimal conditions (snow, rain, heavy traffic, fog, etc) requires the driver to reduce speed. I'm not disagreeing that most cars are more than capable of exceeding those limits, even in less than ideal situations, just pointing out that from a DOT standpoint, the speed limit is only for optimal conditions.

And why they set yellow lights for a shorter, rather than longer, period of time is simply for traffic flow. If you allow a longer yellow light then you have set the standard for at least 2 negative outcomes. #1 is that you will still have people slamming on their brakes for a yellow light, thus creating a longer period for stopped traffic. #2 is that longer yellow lights will directly or indirectly result in longer periods of time to clear a certain amount of cars per cycle, thus creating more traffic.

Believe it or not, DOT's are supposed to try to create steady flowing traffic conditions. In Maryland all the lights seem perfectly timed to make you stop at each intersection... I'm almost convinced that the supervisors at Marylands DOT all own stock in brake pad and scrap metal companies. In Maryland you are almost always in a constant state of slowing or stopping for traffic control devices...

[spoon059]

valhalla360 wrote:
In most but not all states, the rule is you must stop on Yellow unless it's unsafe to do otherwise.

What? I have driven in 14 of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia. I also enforce traffic law in one of those states. Never once seen a "rule" that you must stop on yellow.

You are required by law (not "rule") to stop at a red light. The purpose of the yellow light is to warn you that the light is about to change to red, thus giving you time to decide whether you are able to stop in time or if you have sufficient speed to cover the distance between you and the stop line.

Something that most people DON'T know... If *ANY* part of your vehicle crosses the stop line before the light turns red, you have not run the red light. If you are driving a 70 foot long rig down the highway, as long as the front portion of your vehicle has entered the intersection, you are legal. You don't have to get the entire 70 foot rig through the intersection before the light turns red, just the very front portion.

[NJRVer]

Plane and simple, when the light turns green I take a quick glance left and right to make sure nobody is running the light before I go.

Those advance warning lights don't do anything. There are a few around me at intersections that are at the top of a hill or the bottom of a hill. People will still try beat the light.

[CaptnJohn]

ShinerBock wrote:
Okay, I gotta hear this. How does it being a Ford diesel have anything to do with the reason why the truck flipped? And how would a SRW GM or RAM would have kept it from flipping?

I'm waiting to hear that as well. I have a 2016 F350 SRW and loaded I'd be over payload. That PW had to be getting close to 4000#. His load was in dually territory and still would have flipped.

[ShinerBock]

Okay, I gotta hear this. How does it being a Ford diesel have anything to do with the reason why the truck flipped? And how would a SRW GM or RAM would have kept it from flipping?

[goducks10]

This is why I won't own a Ford diesel.

[Tom_Barb]

ShinerBock wrote:
So now a semi is not enough to tow a 14k GVWR trailer? Wow!

I'll bet he's wishing he had a halftrack tank.

[n0arp]

GordonThree wrote:

jshupe wrote:
Saw this on Reddit. He was hit going through an intersection on the rear quarter panel of the truck. Truck has little to do with it, at least not until you get into a truck that weights near 20K by itself.

Did they have any pictures of the other vehicle?

No, but this description:


"I was traveling 40 mph and the light went to yellow switched in less than 2 seconds. I did run the light, it was my fault 100% however after talking to CHP he says these lights are not timed correctly. I could not stop in time, I laid on my horn for what seemed forever (no eye contact from driver) He rear ended the back of my bed. Very scary my son (8) and daughter (5) and wife are all okay. I’m a good driver however today was not my day. It could of been a lot worse. Thank you for all the kind words."

[GordonThree]

jshupe wrote:
Saw this on Reddit. He was hit going through an intersection on the rear quarter panel of the truck. Truck has little to do with it, at least not until you get into a truck that weights near 20K by itself.

Did they have any pictures of the other vehicle?

[n0arp]

Saw this on Reddit. He was hit going through an intersection on the rear quarter panel of the truck. Truck has little to do with it, at least not until you get into a truck that weights near 20K by itself.