Pileup on PA Turnpike

[JerryBob]

Originally Posted By: JavierG
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
This is why I'm glad I live in the South. I grew up in northern WV and don't miss that white stuff at all.

Virginia is considered to be in the South?



WVA is north of the Mason-Dixon line. VA and WVA split during the Civil War. I know this from growing up in VA, and having to learn about VA history, and our traitorous brethren to the NW

 

[Thermo1223]

In response to the tractor-trailer propane:

Technically with a tank that big he is making a large delivery which of all things could be somewhere on the turnpike.

Also the turnpike is the fastest way to go west/east so there is no reason he can't use it as long as he stays away from tunnels.

The likely hood the tank would have been breached is small.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: refaller
I think it is worse when it is small- people still think they can drive 80mph about 5 foot from the car in front of them while taking pics for facebook on their smart phone. At least when it is piling up they slow down and occasionally leave space. They still take pictures tho.

ref


This. Some filks driving through PA are from the DC area....they all drive like it is dry pavement....

 

[JHZR2]

PA turnpike is too narrow/curvy and people drive too fast. Trucks in general drive too fast in inclement weather - noticed this in both torrential rains and heavy snows on the PA/Ohio/Indiana turnpikes more than once... Dangerous.

Add to it that any idiot with 4WD or AWD thinks they can just drive like normal in snow and ice, and this is what you get.

 

[RF Overlord]

People with SUVs and FWD vehicles always think they're invincible.

 

[Rick in PA]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
PA turnpike is too narrow/curvy and people drive too fast. Trucks in general drive too fast in inclement weather - noticed this in both torrential rains and heavy snows on the PA/Ohio/Indiana turnpikes more than once... Dangerous.

Add to it that any idiot with 4WD or AWD thinks they can just drive like normal in snow and ice, and this is what you get.


That's a point. The PA Turnpike is quite narrow. It was one of the early "superhighways" (1940) as such, they got some things right and some things wrong. Looking at the picture again, narrow right-of-way and it looks like things got "bottled up".

 

[refaller]

West Virginia (at least the majority of it) is south of the Mason-Dixon line. That line predominately separates Pennsylvania from Maryland. West Virginian's do typically consider themselves Southern, although they only became their own state because of the Civil War. Awful snow drivers there as well.

ref

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
This is why, if it's snowing heavily, I get off the interstate ASAP.


I think it depends. I've tended to live in rural areas, and I swear the highway has been better plowed, or better packed down. Less traffic if anything.

 

[KD0AXS]

Originally Posted By: bepperb
How so? Really? Because it's a hazardous material. Similar to how the driver can't drive that through a tunnel, has to stop at railroad tracks... etc... I'm surprised there isn't any restriction due to weather.

I guess I'm not surprised at the stupidity of the whole thing... hey can this wait until tomorrow... sure... but it's just a tank of propane and there's only 2 inches of snow so we'll get this done today. Take the freeway? Of course. Thankfully the truck and trailer are both painted white so everyone can see us!



The transportation industry doesn't just come to a halt because of a couple inches of snow. I work for a transportation company. If we told our customers that we couldn't deliver their goods because it's snowing, they would take their business elsewhere and we'd be out of business by next week. If we worked only when road conditions were good, I'd have only worked 4 or 5 days in the last month.

Even stopping just hazardous materials would cause major problems. Gas stations would run out of gas. (many get deliveries every day and some more than once a day) Homes that rely on fuel oil or propane delivery would be out of heat. Even hospitals use hazardous materials.

 

[dailydriver]

I'm surprised Reading even got that much, since we just got those same squalls that Rick observed.

When all was said and done, it did not even cover the windshield enough to not be able to see through it!

 

[yonyon]

Originally Posted By: bepperb
I'm really surprised someone is driving a truck full of propane in a snowstorm, even if it is only 2 inches of snow. I'd wonder if there had been an accident and the driver/company was sued if that could be considered negligence?


Imagine turning on the TV and seeing a news story about 5 senior citizens who froze to death at home during a minor snowstorm. Now imagine yourself being the guy has to explain why he stopped the deliveries that would have kept that from happening. The spice must flow.

 

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
This is why, if it's snowing heavily, I get off the interstate ASAP.


While not always possible I agree, I believe the WORST time to be on the interstates or turnpikes is the first minutes after the snow starts falling enough to coat the road. For some reason the idiots think that they should speed up and somehow beat the advance of the storm.

Good grief!!!! It's TRUE.