Stop lights

If you KNOW you're going through after it turns red, grab the air horn. You might save a life.

Generally, I expect every light to turn. So, I slow down ahead of time. Some areas you'll get familiar with how the lights are timed or if they are tripped. The tripped lights you can sometimes see if there are cars sitting at the intersection. If there are, back out and expect the change.

 

If that happens you can use your air horn but that should be something that is a very rare occurrence if ever.

If you are in town you should be going slow enough that you can stop. If you are traveling and you see that the light is green and it has been green for some time you have to figure that you have to be able to stop if the light changes. You have to use speed and distance just like you would for your traveling distance between yourself and the vehicle in front of you. You have to maintain control of the truck at all times so that you can stop. And if you are coming down a hill slowing down is even that much more important even if the light is green.

If you are loaded you have to go slower and. Whether loaded or not you have to try to anticipate whether the light has been green for some time or if you visually have seen that it just changed.

I generally brake very early whether it's a stop sign or a stoplight. Actually I try to use the engine and the jake brake if possible to mostly Slow Me Down early. That's the easiest on your brakes and it's the safest.

I would not want to see what the ticket is for that because technically you are out of control if you can't stop for the light.

 

Pay attention to the cross walk lights.

My trainer tought me that. 18 years ago. I guess that's not taught these days.

However, these days. Some lights don't give you much time.

If i can stop I will. But I"m not locking up my tires for every dang light. Most times I end up halfway through the intersections.

 

These 80,000+ bullets cannot stop on a dime. You should always enter an intersection with caution. Assume that light is going to change. If it doesn't then roll on trucker. Someone you care about could be at that intersection. I know sometimes it takes some time to get rolling again but it's not worth someone's life. You can always make up time somewhere along the way BUT you can bring someone back from a fatal crash.

 

By your own admission you say it's scary at those 55 MPH intersections. If you don't think you can stop in the event you need to then maybe you can should back out of it a little bit. Just because it's posted 55 miles an hour doesn't mean you have to do it. It's posted as a limit not a mandatory speed. If you approach the intersections as if the light is going to change you'll be better prepared for when it does. You don't have to drive like the other hammer heads out here.

 

I can see it now.

Traffic flowing while all the semis are slowing down for a green light.

 

I wonder how those self driven rigs will handle this situation?

 

They should do just fine when all those Flying cars start showing up as they were promised.