some blame left exit
tommySt. Pete Times: Some drivers blame left exit for truck crash that closed down 375 in St. Pete.
No, No, No. Drivers not paying attention is what causes confusion. From the article:
A large sign warns drivers that the exit is on the left nearly a mile before the split and another at 0.3 miles…
Commuter Ed Schatzman: “Almost every morning someone makes a last-minute decision and jerks back to go to the interstate or suddenly realizes they’re on 375 and must slow down.”
Schatzman’s co-worker, Kevin Bakewell, a senior vice president at AAA: “It is a very steep, sharp curve when you exit,” he said. “If you’re not paying attention to how fast you’re going … it can be a problem.”
Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Larry Coggins said the accident investigation is continuing. But he does not fault the exit… it is well-marked and does not have an unusually high number of accidents. About 11,000 cars use the ramp daily.
“It’s just a very terrible, tragic vehicle crash,” Coggins said. “We may never know why he took this turn.”
Both Ed and Kevin want to blame the left exit BUT…
- Ed: someone makes a last-minute decision
- Kevin: If you’re not paying attention
Tommy: When you are driving, JUST DRIVE. NOTHING ELSE.
I’m not saying the truck driver is at fault here - there could have been another vehicle involved. But, (again according to the article), he works 14-16 hour days, and it was 10:30 at night. If I got started on the road at 8am, even with breaks I don’t think I would make it to 10:30pm.
Tags: crash, fire, news, st pete, transportation
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March 31st, 2007 at 11:44 am
As Peter would say, this really “grinds my gears.” People (drivers) just need to pay attention. I was watching CNN after the similar Georgia crash and a commentator was blaming the design of the exit, which was CLEARLY MARKED.
I’m on the Safety Committee at the facility I work out of; I try to contribute to make our workplace safer. However, one of the latest actions by the Committee was to place stickers on the suite doors that read “Caution, Door Opens Out.” Presumably warning individuals how a door operates if they’ve never encountered one before. I feel like I’m in Crazy Land! What ever happened to common sense and personal responsibility?
So, yes, I agree with Tommy here - drivers just need to pay attention.
March 31st, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Insofar as the accident in Atlanta goes:
I never in my life saw a left-hand exit until coming to Florida. At least not like the kind we have here — or especially not like the ones in Atlanta, from what I’ve seen. Taking responsibility and paying attention is a grey area when you’ve been driving for 12 hours and it’s 3 am.
April 1st, 2007 at 8:49 am
I wouldn’t call it a grey area in that while fatigue certainly can affect judgement and most defintely affects perfomance, it is still a driver’s responsibility to pull over or not go if they aren’t safe. I wish there was more accountability. The “I” in DUI should include the influences of fatigue, cellphones, makeup application, and the like. All those impair the driver’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle and take away part of a driver’s attention to the road.
April 1st, 2007 at 10:31 am
Jesus, some of you are incredibly judgmental when it comes to this subject. This could happen to any of us. Okay, Tommy, if you don’t talk on a cell phone while driving or are fortunate enough to have a career that doesn’t require you to log serious miles or suffer salary reduction, fine. Do you ever listen to the radio, switch channels, daydream or (as Rachel recently pointed out) sneeze? Then you’re just as bad because if you’ve done any of these and an accident didn’t occur it’s because you were lucky. We’ve all made mistakes while driving and there but for the grace of God…
I don’t mind you harping about road conditions or lack of foresight when developing the burbs but lay off the unfortuante among us who get into accidents. Tomorrow it might be you.
April 1st, 2007 at 10:55 am
I refuse to do any of those things that are within my control. But only because they are a distraction from the most important thing I’m doing at the time, which is safely getting somewhere.
Cell Phone, switching channels, daydreaming - no - NO NO NO - there is no room for that. We are driving a TON of machinery. It DESERVES our FULL ATTENTION. And yes, if I could control sneezes, I’d wait until I was stopped.
Accidents are not accidents. People NOT PAYING FULL ATTENTION causes crashes. The only “unfortunate” thing is that good drivers pay for bad drivers’ habits.
You don’t mind me harping on road conditions, but if I suggest its YOU that should change, there’s immediate defensiveness?
April 1st, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Oh, you make me laugh despite myself.
Okay, perhaps you’ve hit a nail or two. But it’s not just me. I refuse to believe there is a perfect driver out there. Mistakes, accidents, they happen in the blink of an eye and sometimes cannot be prevented. Perhaps I’d feel differently if I were actually involved in one - as so far that hasn’t happened (knockonwood) but I’d like to think I’d react with compassion and understanding.
Unless the guy is driving a Hummer and agressively riding my ass while listening to Rush Limbaugh, eating a Big Mac and waving a Confederate flag out the window. I mean. F*ck that guy.
April 1st, 2007 at 4:41 pm
I have compassion for the family of the driver. I have sympathy for folks like him whose job puts them in a position to make those hard decisions when it comes to a “go” or “no go.” A little story. My first job when I was in High School was a night auditor/watchman for a trucking company up in the Panhandle. I was the last person to see one of our drivers alive because, even after a suggestion that he looked tired and should at least take a nap, he jumped in the cab and took off and died about an hour down the road when he left the blacktop and wrapped around a tree. He chose to drive tired, and he and his family paid for it. It’s tragic, but let’s put the responsibility where it belongs. We’re all human and make mistakes, those mistakes are ours. Blaming the exit for this accident is wrong, maybe he was tired, maybe he was speeding, maybe he was distracted, but the vast majority of traffic safely navigate that curve somehow. There’s altogether too much shifting of accountability these days. It’s sad, it’s tragic, but, unless there was a mechanical failure of his truck it’s still his fault. Btw glad to see you’re back to your feisty self kate.
April 1st, 2007 at 4:53 pm
addendum: or unless there was another vehicle involved.