Road Hogs Watch Out

[Terry Jones]

Just saw this tidbit about a bill proposed in Colorado.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090114...STOMERSERVICE02

Watch out if you plan to pull your Scamp with a bicycle over a mountain.

[Anne H]

I thought that this was just polite driving practice - I know when I had my 20 year old VW camper van, I became very familiar with every single pull-off on all the roads I normally travelled over the coast range.

[Pete Dumbleton]

It's already a law in Washington.

[Orlen Wolf]

Probably the stupidest law ever proposed.

The wording is "if you are going under the speed limit". That means the speed limit now also becomes the minimum speed. So, if you are going under you can get a ticket, if you are going over you can get a ticket and if you are going too fast for conditions you can get a ticket. Sounds like you can get at ticket just for being there since the officer can define "conditions."

There is already a law on the books in Colorado requiring you to stay in the right lane of a divided highway unless you are passing another vehicle. After it was passed the head of the State Police was interviewed on TV and made a statement that they would not enforce the law if there was a lot of traffic. Again a chance for the officer to define the conditions. Do you know what is "a lot of traffic" and do you know if your definition is the same as the guy with the red and blue strobes?

Speculation here in the Denver area is that the individual proposing the legislation was in a hurry to get to the ski slopes and ended up behind someone who wasn't going fast enough for him and wouldn't get out of his way when he rode the guy's A** so he the headed back to Denver and proposed another law.

Anyone who has driven in the mountains of Colorado knows that, no matter what you have under the hood, you will meet a grade that will slow you down if you are towing anything or even if your car is just loaded to capacity.

[Pete Dumbleton]

The good thing about this law, and the one in Washington, is that it contains a test to see if one is actually impeding traffic (and a potential defense) by specifying the number of vehicles stacked behind a slow vehicle to where it is considered to be a blockage.

[ronsmith100]

The good thing about this law, and the one in Washington, is that it contains a test to see if one is actually impeding traffic (and a potential defense) by specifying the number of vehicles stacked behind a slow vehicle to where it is considered to be a blockage.

Can you imagine a truck struggling uphill having to pull over and *stop*? I mean more than likely he is in his best gear at his best torque and best RPM doing his best speed. If he pulls over to let traffic pass he will *never* get back up to the speed he had before. Remember, a big rig almost always has some forward momentum when they *start* uphill. If they started from a dead stop at the base of a hill they would probably never get close to the speed they had before getting off the road.

I forgive big rigs that don't use pullouts going up hill and a law against that is just narrow thinking in my opinion.

[CD Smith]

Here in Texas we have what are called "Farm to Market" roads designated as FM. Unlicensed vehicles (i.e. tractors, cotton wagons, cultivators, etc.) are required to pull over into the safety lane to prevent holding up traffic. Although they are single lane, 2-way traffic roads, these roadways have 'safety lanes' on both sides built for this purpose. Other roadways have "Climbing Lanes" when the grade forces 18-wheelers and towed trailers to slow down.

I travel at 60 MPH which in many cases is lower than the posted speed limit. I always use the climbing lanes, but I NEVER PULL OVER TO LET TRAFFIC PASS on FM roads! The reason is that on two occasions I have had blow outs when forced (i.e. lane closings, ice on the roadway, etc.) to travel in the safety lanes. Additionally, there are no laws in Texas requiring licensed vehicles to pull over.

If Washington and Colorado want slower traffic to pull over they need to spend THIER tax payers money to add lanes for this purpose as it is only a convience for them.

[Pete Dumbleton]

Can you imagine a truck struggling uphill having to pull over and *stop*? I mean more than likely he is in his best gear at his best torque and best RPM doing his best speed. If he pulls over to let traffic pass he will *never* get back up to the speed he had before. Remember, a big rig almost always has some forward momentum when they *start* uphill. If they started from a dead stop at the base of a hill they would probably never get close to the speed they had before getting off the road.

I forgive big rigs that don't use pullouts going up hill and a law against that is just narrow thinking in my opinion.

Keep in mind that if the truck can't get started from a dead stop on the hill then he is exceeding his capabilities and shouldn't be on that road to begin with -- What if a road incident forces the truck to stop and it can't get going again? -- Bet he/she gets an impeding traffic citation -- I find it hard to imagine that a professional truck driver would deliberately put him/her self in that position -- That's why they have trucker's atlases with the grades in them. That forward momentum is not likely to last long, esp on grades that are miles long -- We amateurs can do that sort of thing, riding the wrong edge of the margin, but professionals won't stay in the job long if they don't do it right .

Not all vehicles and loads are suitable for all roads and this kind of law is making the driver responsible for knowing what he is doing.

This is real trip planning, planning to cross the high passes at night when the air is cold and dense giving more power and less overheating potential, plus not having as much traffic around to impede. I know I had to take those factors into account with my rig in Colorado when I was having some power problems.

I know one of the tests Chrysler has for its tow ratings is to do just that -- Bring truck to dead stop on very steep test hill towing full rated load and get it going again.

LEOs I personally know are big on keeping traffic flowing and a long snake behind a vehicle that isn't hacking it is clear evidence of impeding the flow. The same LEOs exercise judgment when writing citations.

Of course, some of the snake heads may be folks who are towing over their limits (adjusted for altitudes) and reporting no problems, perhaps because it's not a problem for them, just the others on the road behind them.

I believe Alaska has the same sort of "five behind is too many" laws and reportedly the highway patrol is quick to write tickets.

How many states and provinces have a "five is too many use pullouts" law? So far we have Washington, Alaska and now Colorado and I believe there are others.