"Parking in the Emergency Lane" -by Don Asa, D&A Consultants, Inc.
February 2011 - Bulletin
NO PARKING IN THE EMERGENCY LANE WITHOUT A VIABLE REASON!!
The probability of an accident increases in direct proportion to the amount of traffic on the road. Tractor-trailers rigs have a special set of challenges. They are a distraction for many drivers in smaller automobiles. They are easier to hit. They move slowly when making lateral maneuvers and take up a lot more room.
Parking vehicles in the emergency lane is not recommended unless a genuine emergency exists, which means the truck is broken down and cannot move. Because it can create a danger to other motorists on the road, there is no practical reason to park a truck in the emergency lane without a viable emergency.
The average emergency lane is 10 feet wide. When a truck, which is 8 1/2 feet wide, is parked in the emergency lane, and the driver steps out of his truck and just one foot backward, then he is stepping into a traffic lane with traffic moving at sixty miles per hour or more.
IF YOU HAVE A TIRE PROBLEM
Unless you have a complete set of duals down, which immobilizes you, there is no reason for you to stop in the emergency lane. The safest way to handle this problem is to slow down, turn on your hazard lights, and get off the roadway at the nearest exit or parking area.IF YOU HAVE A BRAKE PROBLEM
If you have a brake problem where you believe there is something you have to see and inspect, then move the truck to an off-ramp or on-ramp where there is ample room for you to look at the problem.
IF YOU HAVE A LIGHTING PROBLEM
If you have a lighting problem, move to a place where you can look at the problem without endangering yourself or oncoming traffic. There is no excuse to park in the emergency lane unless you are mechanically unable to move. Always move off the highway to examine these non-critical emergencies.IF YOU CANNOT MOVE
If you are in a situation where you cannot move, it is important for the safety of oncoming traffic to immediately get out your emergency reflectors. Although the Federal Department of Transportation’s regulations mandate that you set down reflectors at 200 feet, it is desirable to put them out beginning at 500 feet back from the rear of your truck, trailer.
At 528 feet, you are allowing oncoming motorists only 1/10th of a mile. At 60 mph, that’s a mere six seconds for traffic to perceive, react, and move over. If the reflectors are only at 200 feet oncoming traffic only has 2½ seconds to perceive, react, and move over. That is not practical!
Even though reflectors can be seen back as much as 1000 feet, it’s easy to see that when vehicles are following one another, drivers generally can’t see beyond the vehicle in front of them. Therefore, the driver in the following vehicle will not see the reflectors, or even your vehicle until the path in front of them is clear which is the critical time –when the reflectors are seen. The regulations only give the minimum standard of 200 feet. Your safety and the safety of others deserve more than just the minimum.
Another DOT Regulation states that you must not park equipment where someone cannot see that equipment. So, if you are behind an off-ramp bridge for example, make sure you have enough reflectors far enough back to warn oncoming traffic. Emergency lane parking is one type of accident on the increase around the country, so all drivers and students drivers should be knowledgeable of the warnings, regulations, and precautions surrounding this topic.
IF YOU HAVE A VIABLE PROBLEMStopping because you have a viable problem is the only reason to park in the emergency lane.
Once the truck is stopped, you must then choose between having the problem fixed or fixing it yourself. If the equipment is mobile, then move to the next off-ramp. Even if you have to move slowly down the emergency lane to reach the off-ramp, do so to get off the roadway entirely.
Put the equipment in a safe position before you exit the cab. If you have a fuel restriction (this will happened) where your fuel filter is drawing your horsepower down, move the equipment into the emergency lane, turn on your emergency flashers, and drive to the next off-ramp, even if you have to drive at 35 mph.
The fuel filter is commonly on the left (road) side of the truck. There is nothing more risky than your legs sticking out into a driving lane of the roadway while you are under the truck working on the fuel filter, risking another 18-wheeler in that driving lane shortening you up.
BLENDING IN WITH THE TRAFFIC
If you must move into the emergency lane, then you will eventually need to blend in with traffic. The emergency lane is no different in this aspect than any other acceleration lane. Almost every acceleration lane dumps into the emergency lane. For all practical purposes the emergency lane is the acceleration lane and, you can accelerate to the point where it’s simple and safe to blend into traffic.
This “blending” point is when you have attained a speed close to that of traffic (50 to 55 mph) and have an obvious place to move into traffic. This may involve shifting through several gears. If you get up to 45 to 50 mph and you look in your rear view mirror and see that someone in the right lane of traffic has put on their left turn signal as a reaction to your intent to merge, this gives you an obvious move into traffic when they merge into the left lane. Be sure you are aware of all traffic around you to avoid any collisions.
Pay close attention as you build up to a practical speed to blend in with traffic. Imagine putting a machine into traffic at 15 or 20 mph when the traffic is traveling at 60 mph. It’s irresponsible and dangerous. Drive the truck like a professional driver.
The speed gained with each gear would depend upon the rear end ratio and the engine’s governed RPM’s in the equipment. For example, Class 8 equipment with engine governed RPM’s of 2100 at a 444 rear-end Ratio and a 10 Speed Road Ranger transmission; the top speed attained with first gear is 4 mph (10 X 22 tires). Consequently, the driver would have to shift eight times to attain a 50 mile per hour speed. Regardless of speed limit, a driver must develop enough speed and room to blend in with the flow of traffic on the roadway.
Once you are ready to leave the emergency lane and move back into traffic, turn the hazard flashers off and put the left turn signal on as you start to merge into traffic, but do not turn your signal on while immobile.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR STOPPING OR PARKING IN THE EMERGENCY LANE
To be parked in the emergency lane under any circumstances is confusing to oncoming motorists. You have to consider that oncoming motorists might have any number of distractions, but there is one set of circumstances you can bet on; that every oncoming motorist is conditioned to drive on interstate highways primarily without intrusions from left or right, so their reaction time is going to be delayed by that conditioning.
If you have a viable emergency and must use the emergency lane, remember that trucks as described in the Federal Regulations must be lit up according to the standards spelled out in the Code of Federal Regulations, under Title 49. A driver can take precaution, including the use of flashers, reflectors, emergency warning devices, and reflector triangles.