Driving in Low Visibility

[Ernie]

An acquaintance was involved in this pileup accident yesterday, but he is still alive. There is no reason that this kind of accidents need to keep happening. We have the electronic technology to keep these from reoccurring.
In the past I could have been involved in one of these as I only thought about whether I had control of my vehicle. I did not think about that there may be an accident that just occurred ahead of me and what I should do in light of that possibility. Most drivers today think similarly to how I used to think the way it seems.
https://www.yahoo.com/video/breaking-pi ... 23202.html

After seeing many videos of these pile ups the last number of years, my plan for the future is to not travel that day or get off the road when there is low visibility. (if I can)
If that is not possible, then keep lots of distance between me and the vehicle ahead and drive slowly.

If I ever end up in an accident, I will head for the woods or fields as quickly as possible, with or without my vehicle.

[temporal1]

Look ahead, think about vehicles and the road ahead, AND, keep an eye on your rear view mirror.
Lots of collisions happen from behind. Harder to foresee and prevent. Fog, road conditions, speeding, distracted driving.

If i have to slow down, or drive slowly, i often turn on hazard lights (in attempt to avoid rear end collision).
Driving slowly isn’t a guarantee of avoiding collision.

Staying off roads, esp in inclement weather is #1.
Waiting a few hours, a day or 2, is worth it. The technology of weather reports+road conditions exists! Use them.

Even minor fender-benders are costly.

My father+brothers did auto body repair. Driving messages were continual.

But, seriously, our brains are complex computers. We take it for granted, but, when driving, in motion, we’re constantly “processing” and making decisions - including taking in new information.

Glad your friend is ok. Now to deal with his insurance company. ugh.

[Neto]

Once, on a trip from Ohio to Oklahoma, we ran into an ice storm in Missouri. The defroster was going full blast on the windshield, but it could not prevent the ice from building up (thick) on the wipers. We pulled off in the early afternoon. It was Saturday afternoon, and we weren't all that far away, but stopping meant that we would not arrive home (my parents) before Sunday services (the next day). (As it turned out, it was no longer raining the next morning - Sunday - but we could only travel at around 25 MPH, because the interstate was coated in a thick layer of ice. I think it was on Sunday, not the day before, when a PU with a camper shell on it when past us at around 40 MPH, did a couple of louies in the roadway, wend down into the median, then after a bit climbed back up on the pavement, and away 'he' went again, having learned not a solitary thing.

Fog is also really bad. Followed a semi from Rockford, IL all the way to central Nebraska once - just keeping his lights barely in sight, so as not to go "fog-blind".

[ken_sylvania]

Fog is also really bad. Followed a semi from Rockford, IL all the way to central Nebraska once - just keeping his lights barely in sight, so as not to go "fog-blind".

That works sometimes. The story is told of a farmer who was hauling manure out to his field in a snow storm. Apparently the line of vehicles that was following him on the road proceeded to follow him out into his field when he turned off.

[Joy]

Fog is also really bad. Followed a semi from Rockford, IL all the way to central Nebraska once - just keeping his lights barely in sight, so as not to go "fog-blind".

That works sometimes. The story is told of a farmer who was hauling manure out to his field in a snow storm. Apparently the line of vehicles that was following him on the road proceeded to follow him out into his field when he turned off.

Oh, that stinks.

[steve-in-kville]

My coworkers who live up that way tell me that 81 is still shut down, and will be for some time. Once everything is cleared, they will have to mill the highway down and repave. There was that much damaged from the fires.

[mike]

My coworkers who live up that way tell me that 81 is still shut down, and will be for some time. Once everything is cleared, they will have to mill the highway down and repave. There was that much damaged from the fires.

511PA shows 81 as free-flowing through that area now, if I am reading the map correctly. I can't imagine the traffic issues when 81 gets shut down. There are very few good alternates.

[ken_sylvania]

My coworkers who live up that way tell me that 81 is still shut down, and will be for some time. Once everything is cleared, they will have to mill the highway down and repave. There was that much damaged from the fires.

511PA shows 81 as free-flowing through that area now, if I am reading the map correctly. I can't imagine the traffic issues when 81 gets shut down. There are very few good alternates.

It is back open. Traffic gets horrible when I-81 is closed in that area. Doesn't keep people from crashing and closing it down though.

[Grace]

Fog is also really bad. Followed a semi from Rockford, IL all the way to central Nebraska once - just keeping his lights barely in sight, so as not to go "fog-blind".

That works sometimes. The story is told of a farmer who was hauling manure out to his field in a snow storm. Apparently the line of vehicles that was following him on the road proceeded to follow him out into his field when he turned off.

Now that is funny.

[steve-in-kville]

My coworkers who live up that way tell me that 81 is still shut down, and will be for some time. Once everything is cleared, they will have to mill the highway down and repave. There was that much damaged from the fires.

511PA shows 81 as free-flowing through that area now, if I am reading the map correctly. I can't imagine the traffic issues when 81 gets shut down. There are very few good alternates.

It is back open. Traffic gets horrible when I-81 is closed in that area. Doesn't keep people from crashing and closing it down though.

I stand corrected. It opened at 1am this morning according to news sources.