Trailer Trk. Rear-ends Ct. Troopers at York Toll Booth

[asteroid2003QQ47]

Troopers hurt in York toll plaza crash

Two Connecticut state troopers received minor injuries when their cruiser was hit from behind by a tractor trailer truck at the York toll plaza on the...

http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/nu_comments.php?id=20584&cid=187&com_full=1#begin

A fatal 1983 accident at the Stratford, CT booths, where a runaway truck (driver asleep) struck a line of waiting cars, killing 7 persons and injuring several others was reportedly a major factor in the ultimate removal of Connecticut toll booths.

Is it reasonable to view toll booths as time bombs waiting to explode?

[MaineDem]

1. Here's a better link

http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/020584.html

Yours links to the comments.

Sounds like the problem isn't the toll booth but the link to Connecticut. :evilgrin:

I've never liked the toll booths than span the highway. In the good old days we paid as we got off at an exit. (That has its own issues.) But, in this case, it sounds like the driver had either faulty equipment or was a piss poor driver. I'm glad no one was seriously hurt.

[Maine-ah]

2. I think there is sufficient notice on the highway

that a toll booth is coming up. You really can't miss the signs unless you're sleeping. Between the signs and the rumble strips it should be pretty obvious. There is alway one spot that gets me though, and I always pay attention, and that's heading north from Brunswick where it turns into a two lane highway. I'm a nervous driver, so I take care where I go, and I usually don't venture far from home unless I have another person with me. I was in a couple of accidents not long after I got my license as a teen.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

3. Russian Roulette

Countless rear-ended victims might take issue with your apparent premise, Maine-ah.
With a toll booth in sight I would hope you check your rearview for trucks and cautiously attempt to select a truck-free lane. Graveyards and ERs are littered with cautious drivers who were not at fault.

(Thanks for the link fix, MaineDem.)

[Maine-ah]

5. but how many make it through in comparison

to the number of accidents? Are there really a suffecient number of accidents on a yearly basis to get rid of the toll booths? And what are the other options the state has to collect as much money as it does from the drivers, including all of those from other states? Believe me, I'm not down playing anyones pain/death from an accident, I have many friends who have died in their car, I'm just wondering what the other alternatives to a toll booth are. I still believe there is sufficient notice of impending toll booths.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

6. All valid questions

but you obviously don't need me to tell you that. I don't pretend to have the answers however I would think a study of how others have dealt with the problem would be an advisable first step.
I too "believe there is sufficient notice of impending toll booths" . . . in a perfect world. Alas, "sufficient" for one is no guarantee of sufficient for another.

[Shorebound]

7. Toll booths

I've driven Maine to Washington, D.C., and Maine to Chicago a number of times in recent years, and other states really haven't dealt with tollbooth siting any differently than Maine has, from my observations. The only improvement is the use of drive-through lanes for EZ-Pass holders -- on the New Jersey Turnpike you can drive through them at speed, although the merging situation that immediately follows leaves a lot to be desired. I understand that the Maine Turnpike plans to install the drive-through lanes when it rebuilds the York toll plaza this year.

And I agree that accidents are not so common at tollbooths that some sort of major change is necessary. Given the traffic on the turnpike and through the tollbooths at York, the record appears to be pretty good. The only change I might think of would be to direct trucks into specific lanes. 'Roid, did you have something specific in mind as a solution?

[Maine-ah]

8. I thought we already had lanes for trucks

and ezpass lanes too....

have I missed something?

[Shorebound]

10. Maine-ah

There are lanes for oversized trucks (usually the last one on the right, but not always) and there are EZ-Pass only lanes, but you have to slow down to 10-15 mph to use them. The
EZ-Pass lanes I've seen elsewhere allow you to drive through at close to highway speeds. Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear earlier.

[Maine-ah]

12. to me, having to slow down for easy pass makes sense

unless there is something like an exit set up to separate them from the rest of traffic that has to use the booths.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

13. One of us has missed something, Maine-ah...

and it's not you!
Until this past summer I've not strayed far from the ranch in the last decade.
Spent some time early this Fall around Syracuse, Oswego and re-visited Niagara (Canadian side, don't waste your time on the American side) and experienced a sort of culture shock, for want of a better term, on the highways.
Percentage wise, it seems to me that there are far more large trucks than there used to be and they often travel at very high rates of speed. I have 11 grandchildren and often have one or two in the back-seat. It's at those times that, due to the enormous responsibility I am reminded of by their presence, that my concern for highway safety is greatly magnified. I bet you know exactly what I am talking about.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

4. Russian Roulette

Countless rear-ended victims might take issue with your apparent premise, Maine-ah.
With a toll booth in sight I would hope you check your rearview for trucks and cautiously attempt to select a truck-free lane. Graveyards and ERs are littered with cautious drivers who were not at fault.

(Thanks for the link fix, MaineDem.)

[high density]

9. Highway-speed toll plazas are coming eventually

That should minimize accidents like this, assuming most people get an EZ Pass to utilize it.

[Maine-ah]

14. to me, it seems that a highway-speed toll plaza

sounds a lot more dangerous than the ones we currently have. I dunno :shrug:

how have the percentage of accidents in other states that have this been affected? Do they have less or more accidents?

[Shorebound]

15. High speed toll plazas

The ones I've seen in New Jersey are quite convenient. EZ-Pass holders drive right through a special section that doesn't have tollbooths, while those who have to pay go through a set of booths off to one side. The design I've seen for the new York toll plaza is similar, with EZ-Pass drivers continuing on the highway and cash tolls off to the side. I assume there's a certain percentage of drivers who use the EZ-Pass lanes as a way to avoid payment, but there are camera systems now that catch them.

From what I've read -- and that's limited -- the high speed drive-thru lanes aren't a response to accidents so much as a way to reduce congestion at tollbooths and add convenience for regular commuters, the ones most likely to have the EZ-Pass boxes.

[mainegreen]

11. Are red lights time bombs waiting to explode?

Around here cars continue through the lights often 1-4 seconds after it turns red. Often they go through when my light is green.
I see an accident about once a week due at intersections resulting from just this sort of bad driving. Are the intersections to blame?
Should we do away with lights? Probably not. Other solutions come with their own problems and dangers.

Basically in a car you are ultimately responsible. At every light I slow down and check both ways no matter the color of my light nor how long it's been that color.

At a toll booth I always pick the one furthest away from everyone else.

Driving is dangerous.

:shrug:

[Angsty]

16. Nice try!

Asteroid is being intentionally provocative in raising this issue. You know damn well who BUILT those toll booths that you are now attacking!

;-)

[asteroid2003QQ47]

17. Ack!

The sunlight, it hurts my eyes! ;-)