HAZARDOUS TRAFFIC CONTROL

Blind spots - worst case (Blue area is visible)
 

Other traffic hides conflicting vehicles from each other
 

Blind spots - worst case (Blue area is visible)
(Repeated for lower items in list)

The top and bottom diagrams at right show the following blind areas with a worst case vehicle:

• The front of the vehicle is left in the diagram. The white areas are invisible to the driver (D).
• Numbers 1 and 2 are areas behind and to the side of the vehicle outside the view of the mirrors
• Number 3 is directly behind a vehicle with no back windows. It is blue if back windows exist.
• Numbers 4 and 5 are blind spots caused by the roof supports beside the windshield.
• In addition, if the back window is higher, area 3 is not visible below the low edge of the window.

THE HAZARDS:

1. GIVING BICYCLES RIGHT-OF-WAY OVER OTHER VEHICLES

   The "politically correct" people want to favor modes of transportation that do not pollute.

   This usually has a sign "YIELD TO BIKES".

   It is dangerous when a vehicle in front has to yield to a bicycle behind it on one side.

   If the bicycle is in area 1 or 2 in the top diagram at right, the driver can not see it.

   If the driver can't see the bike, he can't yield to it.

   The correct signs to post are "DO NOT PASS" and "TAKE TURNS AT MERGE" so vehicles don't pass.

2. TWO-WAY BIKEWAY ON ONE SIDE OF A TWO-WAY STREET

   The dream of many cyclists is to not have to stop for other traffic.

   There are many problems with this idea:

   • Too many traffic movements at one intersection.
   • Too many vehicle-to-vehicle traffic conflicts (72 not counting pedestrians).
   • Drivers cannot see bicycles approaching that are in their blind zones (1 and 2 in top diagram).
   • Other vehicles can hide conflicting vehicles (middle diagram).
   • Once a long vehicle has started a turn, the driver can't see ANY conflicting traffic from behind.
   • Side-street traffic doesn't expect 4 cross movements moving in alternating directions.
   • The standard Five Rules Of Right-Of-Way do NOT work with an intersection on this kind of road.
   • The normal model of intersection right-of-way most drivers use does NOT work here.
   • The Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices says a 2-way bikeway must be at least 60 feet from a parallel road.

   The Terrible 7Line

   The ONLY SAFE WAY for the cyclists to achieve their dream is to grade-separate the bikeway.
    Then they would avoid it because of the hard-to-pedal uphill ramps to get on it.

3. BACK-IN ANGLE PARKING

   The "politically correct" reason for this is "pedestrian safety". It doesn't make sense.

   There are many problems with this idea:

   • Drivers in many vehicles can't see behind well enough to accurately back into parking spaces.
   • Most vehicles are not made for good vision to the back (see bottom diagram).
   • The idea is based on newer vehicles with back-up cameras. But most vehicles don't have them yet.
   • Without a back-up camera, it is very hard to tell how far away the curb behind is.
   • On many cars with low bumpers for low-friction ground effects, backing into a curb is expensive.
4. PARKING LOTS WITH RIGHT-ANGLE PARKING

   Right-angle parking is used because it can fit more vehicles into a given space.

   Without a back-up camera, it is very hard to see traffic behind and coming from either side.

   The visibility from a vehicle is often limited to that shown in the bottom diagram.

   Car drivers and pedestrians in the parking aisle expect the backing driver to see them and stop.

   The problem is made worse by cars with opaque back ends and extra-long pickups blocking vision.

   At night, this is made even worse when pedestrians are wearing black and are harder to see.

   As long as right-of-way is denied to backing drivers, there is no real solution to this.

5. SPEED BUMPS OR HUMPS

   The "politically correct" idea here is that a car driving slower will use less fuel.
    - With electric cars and hybrid cars, this is true.
    - With gasoline engines, the car uses more fuel because the transmission downshifts.

   Speed bumps and humps cause much discomfort to disabled people in the vehicles crossing them.

   There are cases where trucks, buses, or fire engines have hung up (high-centered) on the humps.

   Some cars with ground-effects bumpers and skirts hit the speed humps or bumps and are damaged.

6. FAILURE TO REMOVE ICE FROM ROADS, PARKING, AND HANDICAP AREAS

   This can cause many accidents of many different kinds.

   It is not "politically correct" to use chemicals to remove ice.

   Cars can slide into each other, or into other objects.

   Pedestrians can slip and fall.

   Handicapped people can slip and fall, or lose control of a wheelchair, causing accidents.

   Other reasons they do not remove ice are cost, and not having materials available on site.

7. USING THE SAME YELLOW ARROW SIGNAL LENS FOR BOTH PERMISSIVE TURNS (FLASHING) AND CLEARANCE (STEADY)

   This can cause many accidents of many different kinds.

   When the signal is yellow, the driver can't tell whether it is allowing a turn or clearing the signal.

8. ALLOWING UTILITY LINES TO DRAPE IN FRONT OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS

   These lines are often thick enough to obscure parts of signal lenses, especially parts of arrow lenses.

   This can confuse drivers, causing them to do the wrong things.