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Near miss

FreeLanceing
Explorer II
Explorer II
Coming home from my annual SD bird hunting trip, I always stop in Chesterton In for the last chance at White Castle. Growing up in Chicago its like going to Maine and not picking up a lobster if I don't stop. I was at the light waiting for my arrow to go left. I gave the old dog a burger and since he's blind I had to help him locate it. The light had turned and the good citizens behind me were honking. Just as I hit the gas I noticed movement to my left and hit the binders. A fully loaded 18 wheeler blew the light and slid through the intersection 3 ft off my front bumper. Had I gone on green he would have T-Boned me for sure. Being a Harley rider I have learned to drive defensivly. This was a very close call that could have been a real disaster. Be safe out there some folks are in a big hurry.
41 REPLIES 41

bka0721
Explorer II
Explorer II
One of the first things I learned, before driving on the road, was just because you have a green light, does not give you the right to enter the intersection. If you read the Traffic Code, you are still required to enter an intersection when other vehicles do not present a danger of entering it. I wrote many citations for accidents, just like you avoided, for both vehicles, the one running the light and the one that didn't clear before entering.

Don't start looking down road, as you come up to a stop sign, wait until you are there, stopped and look both ways, then proceed. You will have less of an urge to run a stop sign, thus avoiding an accident that could possibly injure you, others, or worse.

When waiting for a light to change, begin scanning the roads to your left, right and in front of you, for any vehicles that might be approaching that will not possibly stop in time if the light should change. Don't focus on the green light. This is especially true for motorcycle riders.

Drive Safe, Drive Smart.

b
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covered_wagon
Explorer
Explorer
I've seen alot of drivers think what is the natural speed for a certain road.... I've clocked a triple trailer tailgating a small car with a family at 70 mph and see this often with doubles. I see many, many drivers tailing at an unsafe speeds, going in whole parades of tailers, only to not allow anyone to merge as they need. It's horrible to drive like that, it's almostlike they hate each other.

I know what it's like to have your flesh ripped open.... then you know all about the right safe speed.

SRT
Explorer
Explorer
69 Avion wrote:
rickeoni wrote:
Enforcing low speed limits is not the answer, 90% of traffic finds the correct speed for the road and the current conditions. Slow drivers are a bigger hazard than speeders. We need to enforce all around good driving habits and have society as a whold realize that driving is a privilege not a right. Bigger penalties for repeat offenders, bigger penalties for certain offences as a first punishment. Family members are getting killed everyday with little or no consequence to the offender. A death of a family member is a life altering event, losing your licence for a year is an inconvenience.

Very well put.


Yup! Each year it seems that there are more poor drivers on the road. Also there needs to be more personal responsibility instead of blaming others for their mistakes.

69_Avion
Explorer
Explorer
rickeoni wrote:
Enforcing low speed limits is not the answer, 90% of traffic finds the correct speed for the road and the current conditions. Slow drivers are a bigger hazard than speeders. We need to enforce all around good driving habits and have society as a whold realize that driving is a privilege not a right. Bigger penalties for repeat offenders, bigger penalties for certain offences as a first punishment. Family members are getting killed everyday with little or no consequence to the offender. A death of a family member is a life altering event, losing your licence for a year is an inconvenience.

Very well put.
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Sir_Buffalo
Explorer
Explorer
Did you ever notice all the unfortunate accidents also involve the same people who have suspened or no licenses at all.
Sir Buffalo!
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Harleybullet
Explorer
Explorer
Interesting that you stated that there are less police evident on the roads......here in NY and on Long Island they are putting up "red light" camaras at many, many intersections...... no police and the ticket is just low enough dollar wise not to fight it but they are always there and good or bad it does stop many people from going thru at the last minute! I ride my Harley like there is always a yellow light coming up!

run100
Explorer
Explorer
Although I had an identical incident involving a large dump truck running a red light, as I was just a couple feet from rolling into the intersection, the trucks are not by biggest fear. Instead, I'm mostly concerned with the HUGE number of the distracted drivers on cell phones, ipods and other electronic devices - primarily because I have close encounters with such drivers on almost a daily basis (and they are in 4 wheel vehicles, not 18).

Texting is a major problem, but the distraction caused by talking on a cell phone while driving, is just as bad. The effects of talking on a cell phone while driving, is almost identical to drunk driving - slow starts, fast stops, swerving in the lane, running red lights (as a pedestrian, I came within a foot of being run over by someone, as they blew through a red light while chatting on a cell phone!), lacking use of turn signals, etc.

Lately, I've been running across many people driving at extremely slow speeds, on the freeway, while they're on the phone (by slow, I mean going 50mph on a 65mph freeway!) Yes, speeding may be risky, but so is impeding the normal flow of traffic.

If you question the effect cell phones have on one's attention and reactions, I challenge you to pay close attention to the next few cell users you encounter in the grocery store, or shopping center You'll likely find they're oblivious to their surroundings. See for yourself.
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rickeoni
Explorer
Explorer
Enforcing low speed limits is not the answer, 90% of traffic finds the correct speed for the road and the current conditions. Slow drivers are a bigger hazard than speeders. We need to enforce all around good driving habits and have society as a whold realize that driving is a privilege not a right. Bigger penalties for repeat offenders, bigger penalties for certain offences as a first punishment. Family members are getting killed everyday with little or no consequence to the offender. A death of a family member is a life altering event, losing your licence for a year is an inconvenience.
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travelnutz
Explorer II
Explorer II
I agree, bring back the 55 max or a max of 60 on Interstates only and ENFORCE it very strongly with high fines and points which will drastically increase insurance premeiums for violators and even a loss of their license. Increased pullovers will also aid in catching DUI drivers and drug users and the wanted by the law subjects. Double all fines and points for texting while driving too. Less accidents and fuel savings for nearly everyone. ALL vehicles traveling at the same speed means so many fewer rear-enders and lost of control accidents.

Driving while license revoked should mean an instant immediate automatic 30 day jail sentence and then appear before the court before release for the first offense and automatic 6 months for the second offense and a 2 year licnese suspension minimum if no accident was involved. It's called: Do not pass go and go directly to jail and rolling the dice again won't help you!

Long past time to help give some commonsense protection to innocent drivers and their families that are constantly being slaughtered by speeders, texters, drunks, druggies, and other criminals on the roadways.
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clikrf8
Explorer
Explorer
I am all in favor of slower speed limits. Oregon has the right idea. There were a lot of secondary roads in idaho, Utah and Wyoming that had posted speed limits of 65. Way too fast for the twisting roads with steep grades. Also, many western states are enamored of the extraction industry whose drivers have a "schedule". This was what I was told by the VB in Dinosaur when I told the volunteer about some near misses on 191 caused by impatient Simplot drivers. Scenic Byway? NOT! We drive what we feel is a safe speed and do pull over when we can. One of the near misses was on the road by Abert Rim in Eastern Oregon. Scenic Byway. We were the only ones on the road when my husband asked, "Where did he come from? A Les Schwab semi with a pup was coming up fast so my husband looked for a place to pull over. Kinda hard when there is a 2500' foot high fault scarp on your side of the road. Incredibly, he passed us and the pup almost went off the narrow road. I don't know what the emergency was for tires as there was no snow in Burns or wherever he was bound. More and more we are opting for gravel roads but even then, a semi cab roared passed us on the gravel part of Hart Mountain Road. Rant over.
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covered_wagon
Explorer
Explorer
I disagree on limits being too low. Higher limits would make the very prevalant tailgating even more dangerous. Limits are just fine if folks got their behinds going earlier in the morning.

With the many antiquated 2 lane roads in Oregon, combined with the mobs of people showing up in this state, alot of these roads are only worth about 45mph instead of the 55 you see so often.

I have avoided a few mishaps already since slowing down on Oregons roads. I noticed many other smart drivers have realized that these roads are safer at lower speeds.

Then brighter lights on todays newer cars... with an oncoming vehicle, much of the time, I cannot see a deer nor a pedestrian on my side so I have to slow down.

Sorry to get so far off topic...

There is a good lesson to be learned from the OP... to look both ways even though the green light says it's your turn to go. Don't make it 'your time to go'.

Life is for living each moment not after you get there.

One final note.... if you look at Oregon accident/ fatality stats you'll find about a third are speed related and about 1/4th are intersection related. The rest are from various other circumstances.

wnjj
Explorer II
Explorer II
covered wagon wrote:
Here in Oregon the cops aren't seen around much anymore, for some reason and most everyone is collectively speeding.


There's a simple reason most are speeding: The limits are too low. Google the 85th percentile speed rule. Oregon's mission seems to be to "protect us" at the expense of all reason. By coincidence or not, we also seem to have the absolute worst drivers when it comes to blowing red lights. Sometimes I see 2-3 cars go through when all could have easily stopped. Maybe they're frustrated at having to drive so slow between the lights? Regardless, blowing lights is many times more dangerous than speeding IMHO.

realter
Explorer
Explorer
Next time you go to South Dakota don't miss nick's hamburger in Brookings. You won't have to go through Chicago any more after trying a Nick burger

FreeLanceing
Explorer II
Explorer II
Mote; It was a dump truck, just an 18 wheeler dump truck. It was a local construction guy in a tractor pulling one of those big alm dump boxes. I don't mean to bash the 18 wheelers, I have a CDL myself with a couple 100 thousand miles. I drove many years ago just kept the license. Most of your over the road guys are trained proffesionals and I respect them. Like anything else theres always the a few bad ones around. This guy may have been screwing around with a phone or not paying attention, don't know. It all happens real fast. Once again not my day to go. As far as the Harley comment, 46k on this bike (03) never an issue. Finest bike in the world made right here in the usa for 110 years. You ride what you can afford. Those who can't afford one bash them.

rickeoni
Explorer
Explorer
The latest trend around here is for 18 wheelers to blow the air horn to warn you that they are going to run the intersection. Too easy to get a licence in these days of traffic congestion.
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