Expressway Driving SAFETY PAYS ON EXPRESSWAYS First there was the Pony Express. And of course, we've all heard of Federal Express. By definition: express means fast, direct, making few stops, characterized by speed or velocity. A freeway is typically an Interstate highway. On a freeway, there are no intersections, no traffic signals, no curb- cuts and, there is full access control. Vehicles enter and leave the roadway only by way of on-ramps and off-ramps with acceleration and deceleration lanes. Interstate 70 is by definition a freeway. An expressway is a four-lane divided highway with partial access control. You will experience intersections, but not entrances. You may also encounter pedestrians and slow-moving vehicles, and maybe even interchanges. In fact, from 1957 to 1970, the Turnpike was posted at a maximum of 80 m. That changed to 75 during the day and 70 at night from 1970 through 1974. With the energy crisis and gasoline shortage in the mid-70's, the federal government took action to help alleviate the problem by enacting a nationwide 55 m. A provision in the 1988 Transportation Appropriations Act allowed routes connected to Interstates in rural areas and built to interstate standards to be signed at 65 m. In 1996, the mandatory speed limit law was again changed on the federal level to allow states to set their own speed limits. Trees, brush, signs or structures alongside the intersection can block sight lines and may keep on-coming drivers from seeing you. Don't assume the vehicle coming toward you on the expressway is going to slow or turn before it gets to you, just because it's signaling. Wait until the car has actually begun to make the turn. An expressway is a divided highway and it is essential that if you are turning, you turn into the correct lanes. Before you pull into the intersection, give yourself extra room between vehicles on the highway due to the distance you have to travel. If it is, you can pick a gap in traffic from one direction at a time, storing or waiting in the median between. If not, make sure that you have a gap in traffic from both directions if you are going to cross or turn left. You can be ticketed if you don't. Even worse, you endanger yourself and others in your car and on the road. If you drive in the left-most lane for an extended period of time, you may create conflicts with other vehicles by impeding fast moving traffic or vehicles that are trying to pass. This safety precaution enables other drivers to see you more easily in conditions that hamper visibility. When it's really windy, slow down. Don't assume that the vehicle on the side-road will wait until you pass the intersection before entering the highway; sometimes they won't. The interchanges are at locations with heavier traffic. SEEING RED Because you can travel at up to 70 miles an hour on an expressway, it's easy to forget that there may be traffic signals, stop signs and emergency vehicles that require you to stop. It's a mistake that can prove tragic. Stop signs are common, also. Be on the alert for them. But drivers must yield the right of way to any pedestrians attempting to cross the intersection before proceeding. All vehicles must stop for any school bus that has red lights flashing and the stop sign extended. If the expressway has a median or wall separating the roadway, on-coming traffic is not required to stop. If drivers can't change lanes safely, or are on a two-lane highway, they must slow down while maintaining a safe speed so as not to impede other traffic. First and foremost, do not leave your vehicle stopped in a traffic lane. Get off the road by pulling to the right shoulder if at all possible. Be especially careful at night when there is a greater chance of being hit from behind. This is a nationally- recognized distress sign that communicates your need for assistance. Also, display any signs you may have that indicate you need help like a sun shade with a distress message. If not, remain with your vehicle unless you are very close to a location that might have a phone. It's very likely another motorist will report your problem to the police. Be Prepared For Problems The Scout motto certainly applies to driving. Mobile phones become valuable safety tools during breakdown situations. Have water available in hot weather, especially for children and pets. For example, on a two-lane highway, a double yellow line means no passing from either direction. The only time a driver is permitted to cross a double yellow line is when turning left into a driveway or entrance to a business. WORK ZONES: Patience, Patience The bulk of our interstate highway system was built in the 1950's and 60's and many other highways were originally constructed before that time. Those roads are aging and in need of repair, replacement or improvement in some places. Millions will be spent to improve our state's roadways and bridges over the next few years. Those improvements bring with them an increase in the number of road construction sites... In a typical year, the state of Kansas has more than 500 highway projects underway. Municipalities throughout the state also have numerous construction sites on their local roadways. As a result, drivers are likely to encounter a variety of work zone conditions, including narrow lanes, concrete barriers, orange barrels, uneven pavement, slow moving equipment and loose gravel. Because of their temporary nature, these areas can surprise a motorist. The color orange is designated for most signs, barrels and barricades used in these areas. Annually, more than 700 people are killed and 39,000 injured nationally in crashes that occur in work zones. In Kansas, 85 percent of those killed were drivers and passengers of cars that crashed into other cars or roadside construction equipment. About 15 percent of those killed were road workers and pedestrians. Many states, including Kansas, double the fine for speeding in work zones, whether or not workers are on site. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the combination of high speeds and congestion is the leading cause of crashes on urban interstates, followed by the failure to remain alert while driving. As a result, one in three work zone crashes is a rear-end collision. What Can You Do? Before leaving on a trip, check out road conditions. In Kansas, the Kansas Department of Transportation provides road condition information on its website. You can find it at. You can also call the Kansas Road Condition Hotline at 1-800-585-ROAD. They can warn you about any road construction along your route. Be sure to allow yourself extra travel time if there are work zones on your planned route. Lanes are likely to be closed in work zones and traffic patterns changed as the work progresses. Watch for detour and lane diversion signs. When you see orange signs or barrels, be especially alert, reduce your speed to the posted limit and be aware that there may be flaggers, workers, machinery and adverse road conditions ahead. Observe all work zone warning signs. In a work zone, a flagger has the same authority as a regulatory sign, so you can be cited for disobeying his or her directions. Extra caution is required when driving in an active work zone at night. Don't use your cell phone, refill your coffee cup or change radio stations, tapes or CD's. Avoid yelling or directing obscene gestures at the work crew or other vehicles traveling with you through the area. It won't make the car ahead of you go any faster. It also reduces your reaction time and increases your chance of rear-ending the car in front of you. Reducing your speed from 60 miles per hour to 45 miles per hour in a two-mile work zone delays your trip by only one minute. People make mistakes; most times they just aren't thinking when they do something that irritates you. For many individuals, driving through narrow lanes lined with concrete walls on each side makes them nervous and causes them to slow down. Here's The Law: Kansas law requires you to obey all signs in work zones. Many states double or triple the fine for a moving violation in work zones, whether or not workers are on site. In Kansas, fines in work zones are doubled. THE GREATEST ROAD THREAT: Yourself You may not realize it, but you pose the greatest danger to yourself and other drivers. Most crashes are due to driver error, not the highway. And it only takes a split second of driver inattention for a crash to occur. You say you always pay close attention while driving? Have you ever talked on your cell phone while driving? Read directions to someplace you were trying to go? Blared the radio or tape player? Bent down to pick something up off the floor? Rode with a pet on your lap? You get the idea. Just remember, when you're driving, your focus needs to be on your driving. A split-second distraction can cause you to run off the road, rear-end a vehicle that has come to a sudden stop, swerve into the next lane... Here's a scary statistic: one crash occurs every seven seconds in the United States. By the time you find and answer your cell phone, a crash has occurred somewhere. Make sure it's not you. DISTRACTIONS Cell Phones Cell phones are nice conveniences, but can potentially be deadly. An incoming call can divert your attention from the road. One solution: find a safe place to park before you answer that call. Likewise, if you have to make an outgoing call. Another solution: have your incoming cell phone calls routed to your voice mail or message machine until you safely arrive at your destination. Fast Food The split second you take to grab a french fry is all it takes to become involved in a collision. Noise Blaring music can prevent you from being able to hear sirens from emergency vehicles, train whistles and the horns of other drivers who may be trying to alert you. Cigarettes Lighting up or putting out a cigarette can distract you. So can flicking hot ashes on yourself or getting smoke in your eyes. If you smoke while you drive, be especially careful and realize its potential to distract you. Rubbernecking Slowing down to look at accidents, police cars that have pulled someone over, even at articles for sale along the road can cause crashes. Slowing down can affect the driver behind you, who might also be rubbernecking and not realize your car has slowed down. Loose articles Empty pop cans. Come to a quick stop and these and similar items start rolling around. If something happens to lodge beneath your brake pedal or your gas pedal, it can become a disastrous situation. Check your car before you drive. Remove or secure any loose articles. Insist children are buckled securely in their seat belts or if under the age of four in their child seat. Separate older children if necessary to keep them from squabbling. Provide them with a book to read or a game to play if they are going to be in the car for an extended period. In the case of pets, always use a pet carrier. YOU'RE NOT ALONE: Sharing the Road You may be alone in your car, but you're never alone on the expressway. You share that little strip of pavement with a multitude of vehicles-cars, pickups, 18-wheelers, motorcycles, recreational vehicles and slow-moving vehicles. You also share it with a multitude of people and their various personalities, preferences, habits and idiosyncrasies. Some forgot their glasses and aren't seeing too well that day; others had three or four drinks at dinner and are driving under the influence; still others may have smoked marijuana or snorted cocaine before they got behind the wheel. Maybe the woman next to you just lost her job; and the man in front of you just had a fight with his son. The driver on your right just got his license and has only been driving for two weeks. The Aggressive Driver All these people are out there with you. Their ability to drive is affected by numerous factors, physical and emotional. One of the most dangerous drivers is the aggressive driver. Governed either by a lack of courtesy and common sense, or by a physical drugs or alcohol or emotional situation, this driver puts you in danger. Unfortunately, most of us have encountered this driver. In Kansas, you can contact the Highway Patrol by dialing 47 on your cell phone or KTA if you're on the Kansas Turnpike.
