Traffic Engineering term for "Sloth"
in [Drive]
|
From: Peter Lawrence on 27 Apr 2010 17:37 On 4/25/10 6:26 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote: > > No, that's a separate specialty then this thing addressed. > Unfortunately, many curves are now given advisory signs based on sight > distance restrictions, not ball bank limits. While sight > restrictions are a problem, drivers assume a yellow warning sign is > for sharp curvature and it makes them ignore ones they should pay > attention to (although those are actually very rare). And while I > can't be sure, I'm getting suspicious that some of these pinhead > traffic engineers are only looking at the amount of curve and not > considering the amount of bank/super elevation when deciding a curve > needs an advisory sign - I see way too many needless signs on banked > curves that can easily be taken at normal or even high speeds. I've noticed on California roads, I can easily take a curve at a 30% faster speed than the advisory limit. So a curve with an advisory limit of 45 MPH I can take at 60 MPH, one with a advisory limit of 30 MPH, I can take easily at 40 MPH, but one listed at 15 MPH, then I can take it at around 20 MPH. In fact, if I'm familiar with the curve, I can usually take a curve easily at 50% over the posted advisory limit. To me, it seems that Caltrans sets the advisory limit on curves so if you don't exceed that speed you'll feel no noticeable G-force while on the curve. It's the speed you want to take if you don't want any loose items to roll around inside your vehicle. :) - Peter
From: Patrick Scheible on 27 Apr 2010 18:05 Peter Lawrence <hummbaby(a)aol.com> writes: > On 4/25/10 6:26 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote: > > > > No, that's a separate specialty then this thing addressed. > > Unfortunately, many curves are now given advisory signs based on sight > > distance restrictions, not ball bank limits. While sight > > restrictions are a problem, drivers assume a yellow warning sign is > > for sharp curvature and it makes them ignore ones they should pay > > attention to (although those are actually very rare). And while I > > can't be sure, I'm getting suspicious that some of these pinhead > > traffic engineers are only looking at the amount of curve and not > > considering the amount of bank/super elevation when deciding a curve > > needs an advisory sign - I see way too many needless signs on banked > > curves that can easily be taken at normal or even high speeds. > > I've noticed on California roads, I can easily take a curve at a 30% faster > speed than the advisory limit. So a curve with an advisory limit of 45 MPH > I can take at 60 MPH, one with a advisory limit of 30 MPH, I can take easily > at 40 MPH, but one listed at 15 MPH, then I can take it at around 20 MPH. In > fact, if I'm familiar with the curve, I can usually take a curve easily at > 50% over the posted advisory limit. > > To me, it seems that Caltrans sets the advisory limit on curves so if you > don't exceed that speed you'll feel no noticeable G-force while on the > curve. It's the speed you want to take if you don't want any loose items to > roll around inside your vehicle. :) It's also a good speed to take it at if it's icy or your tires are bald. -- Patrick
From: Clark F Morris on 27 Apr 2010 22:30 On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:37:32 -0700, Peter Lawrence <hummbaby(a)aol.com> wrote: >On 4/25/10 6:26 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote: >> >> No, that's a separate specialty then this thing addressed. >> Unfortunately, many curves are now given advisory signs based on sight >> distance restrictions, not ball bank limits. While sight >> restrictions are a problem, drivers assume a yellow warning sign is >> for sharp curvature and it makes them ignore ones they should pay >> attention to (although those are actually very rare). And while I >> can't be sure, I'm getting suspicious that some of these pinhead >> traffic engineers are only looking at the amount of curve and not >> considering the amount of bank/super elevation when deciding a curve >> needs an advisory sign - I see way too many needless signs on banked >> curves that can easily be taken at normal or even high speeds. > >I've noticed on California roads, I can easily take a curve at a 30% faster >speed than the advisory limit. So a curve with an advisory limit of 45 MPH >I can take at 60 MPH, one with a advisory limit of 30 MPH, I can take easily >at 40 MPH, but one listed at 15 MPH, then I can take it at around 20 MPH. In >fact, if I'm familiar with the curve, I can usually take a curve easily at >50% over the posted advisory limit. My Corolla probably could too but what about a mini-van, an SUV, or a dump truck? > >To me, it seems that Caltrans sets the advisory limit on curves so if you >don't exceed that speed you'll feel no noticeable G-force while on the >curve. It's the speed you want to take if you don't want any loose items to >roll around inside your vehicle. :) > > >- Peter
From: Matthew Russotto on 27 Apr 2010 23:15 In article <w9zsk6gtutn.fsf(a)zipcon.net>, Patrick Scheible <kkt(a)zipcon.net> wrote: > >It's also a good speed to take it at if it's icy or your tires are >bald. If it's icy AND your tires are bald. There's one curve I used to swear the advisory speed was set based on a fully-loaded dump truck in a blizzard. That is, I used to swear that until I ended up behind a fully-loaded dump truck in a blizzard, doing 10mph over the advisory speed, without any apparent problem. -- The problem with socialism is there's always someone with less ability and more need.
From: Matthew Russotto on 27 Apr 2010 23:18
In article <83pelkFj3bU1(a)mid.individual.net>, Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >Happened lots of times, in any case. And rolled out of a curve is >probably the most preventable single vehicle "accident" there is. If the advisory curve speeds were set consistently, it would be more preventable. It's not surprising that having encountered 100 curves marked "40 mph" which were easily safe at 60 mph, that a driver will, upon seeing a curve marked "40 mph" will assume it IS safe at 60mph. If it's one of the few curves which isn't overly conservatively marked, the driver has a problem. -- The problem with socialism is there's always someone with less ability and more need. |