I know we have not seen it in a while(rain), but yesterday I almost witnessed a big pile up on Earl Rudder due to a truck driving 40mph. I understand that 40mph is the lowest speed you can travel in "bad" conditions. But if the speed limit is 70mph and everyone else is able to travel at 55-65mph should'nt that truck be on the feeder road?

quote:

---

I understand that 40mph is the lowest speed you can travel in "bad" conditions.

---

never heard of this.

C'mon!

By your argument, vehicles on the bypass must travel not less than 40 mph during times of icy bridges and snow pack from our once every 20 yrs two inch snowfall.

A cop told me that if you are going only 2 MPH and slide off the road and hit something, you would probably get a "speed excessive for road conditions" ticket.

[This message has been edited by Aggiefan54 (edited 8/6/2008 7:19a).]

I was going on memory and cannot find the lowest speed permitted on TxDot. Called CSPD and they said it is not set, just so everyone is traveling at a safe rate of speed. Too fast or too slow and you could get a ticket. aggiefan54 I don't have an argument, I had a question...not about SNOW, but RAIN

[This message has been edited by marge (edited 8/6/2008 7:32a).]

I don't think it was caused by the 40MPH truck... if everyone else was really going only 55-60MPh, that's not that big of a difference in speed.

Someone (probably a woman on a cellphone) wasn't paying attention.

I understadn where you are coming from but I also think how much damage a driver could cause if they felt they were obligated to drive a certian speed in conditions that they are not comfortalbe with.

it was bad coming in on 2818 this morning. The mix of people going 35-40 and 55-60 made things interesting. Not to mention certain parts of 2818 actually have standing water on it.

The last really big rain we had was May 14th. I was involved in a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler on Hwy 6 just south of 159. I was traveling at less than 50 mph when my van started to hydroplane. My van was completely totalled in the accident. I got a $500 ticket for "failure to maintain a safe speed in hazardous conditions".

I'm not saying folks should just creep along the highway at 20 mph, but I do understand now why some will go 10-15 less than the posted limit when it's raining...

Gig'em

It's not like there were any accidents spread across the area from hydroplaning yesterday. Oh, wait, nevermind.

You had to figure the roads would be an oily mess once the rain started pooling all the oils and other stuff that hadn't been washed off since May.

Marge, the truck was observing the law and common sense, everyone else was not.

People drive slower to be safe. Do you know what safe means?

A friend was driving yesterday, a carfull of teenagers was driving the opposite direction, hydroplaned and hit his truck (semi truck) head-on. All the kids where killed.

Now, why was it that we slow down in the rain?

to the OP:

quote:

---

At least four unrelated major accidents were blamed on vehicles hydroplaning Tuesday on rain-slick Brazos Valley roads, including one that left a Hearne police officer in critical condition after a truck sideswiped his patrol car.

Officer Seth Hudson suffered a broken neck and ribs, along with a collapsed lung, after a miniature garbage truck hit his car on Texas 6 in Hearne, authorities said....


Two major one-vehicle accidents on Texas 6 in the southern part of Brazos County were reported around the same time as the Hearne wreck. Vehicles hydroplaned and struck the concrete barrier within half an hour of each other, according to South Brazos County Volunteer Fire Department Chief Emily Staples...


FedEx driver Joaquim Castro, 25, was traveling in the southbound lane when his truck hydroplaned, striking an SUV headed in the opposite direction near the intersection of Harvey Mitchell Parkway and Leonard Road, Bryan police said.
The front left portion of an SUV driven by 46-year-old Jeanette Stone struck the rear left quarter-panel of the FedEx truck, according to reports.
Both drivers remained at St. Joseph Regional Health Center late Tuesday. Castro was listed in good condition, and Stone was in fair condition, officials said

---

slow down. get off the person's bumper. clam down. life will not end if you don't get to your destination 15 seconds earlier.

there are people driving excessively slow whether it rains or not in this town

This is a dangerous place no matter what the weather.
In large cities everyone seemingly drives like lunatics, speeding cutting across 4-5 lanes to do something, but most everyone drives the same way it it all seems to work out.

In small rural areas, most everyone seems to drive like Ma&Pa Kettle with the wheels barely turning. But most everyone drives the same way so it all seems to work out.

HERE, there is a hodge podge of everything as you try to navigate around Ma&Pa Kettle driving 10 mph under the limit without getting in the way of the the knuckleheads going 10 over and cutting across 3 lanes to get to an open lane...

I have hydroplaned at 50 mph. It was an impressionable experience, so much so that I haven't done it again.

40 mph, or even 30-35 is not out of the question for me when it's raining.

One time we were heading to Houston during a moderate rain and when we turned on to Hwy. 6 I asked my wife how many cars we'd see on the side of the road (who lost control) before we got to Navasota. She looked at me and said "none". We counted up to 8 or 9 and then stopped counting. This was pre-construction of the current improvements to Hwy. 6 which was ridiculously notorious for hydroplaning incidents. Fortunately things will be much better when it's finished.

The bottom line is MOST people drive way too fast when there is water on the road, not the other way around.

As someone who moved here from a place where it rains, y'all drive slow. There's no reason that if you've maintained your car and aren't running slick tires because you haven't checked them recently, you will need to drive at 40mph in the rain. If you were driving at 40 on highway six yesterday afternoon, ... well, here's your sign.

Now, on the other hand -- if you're going to tailgate the person in front of you when they're going slow in the rain -- THAT is just plain stupid.

when it's raining hard and you're driving on the undivided parts of Highway 6 and anywhere along 2818, you need to slow down to give yourself some chance to dodge that hydro-planed vehicle coming towards you from the opposite lanes.

I agree with speck more than anyone else.

since it hasnt rained a lot here recently, the roads were very slick this morning on hwy 6.

i slowed down (NOT to 40 mph, but 50-55), & i dont care what anyone thinks about that...& yes, i drove in the right hand lane.

There are people driving excessively fast, whether it is dry or not.

dp

[This message has been edited by taxpreparer (edited 8/6/2008 1:16p).]

I am a very cautious driver (witnessing a fatal car wreck will do that to a person). I always slow down in poor weather conditions. However, today, it was a bit much. I was heading south down Texas Ave. and found myself behind a car going 15 mph down the middle lane. I find that to be a bit too slow - seeing as how the rain had let up a lot at that point.

But, I wasn't in a wreck or even close to one so I guess I really have little room to complain. It couldn't have been that dangerous, right?

It bugs me, too, but it's just people being overly cautious. Think about it... if they aren't comfortable with their driving skills at a higher speed on slick roads, do you really want them going faster?

I had a wreck driving while driving in the rain when I was 18. It made a life long impression on me. I always slow down when it's raining. The number of accidents always increase with the rain. Maybe if everyone slowed down then that wouldn't happen.

2818 is notorious for accidents when it rains. The rain comes and people slide off of that road right and left.

[This message has been edited by thisladyisacop (edited 8/6/2008 2:42p).]

fancy that tliac, i also had a wreck in the rain when i was 18, except i hydroplaned (going less than the speed limit in a construction zone) in my truck off of two barriers in the middle of I10 in katy. so yeah i slow it down a bit

if you do not feel confident traveling at a safe speed (no more than 5 under) on the highway then dont get on the highway... again, if you are not comfortable going the speed limit, take a road you are comfortable traveling on....if you want to go 40 take texas, or wellborn, or the service/access/frontage road....this also applies during non rainy times, the speed limit is 70, typically the average speed is about 57

in summary: i find someone that drives 15 over to be as selfish as someone that drives 10 under, but thats just one mans opinion

also, was the low speed hydroplane with or without cruise control?

**Before people get upset about me using the term selfish please explain any other possible reasoning for this statement:
"I feel it is too dangerous to travel the speed limit on the highway, I know that there will be other cars not as cautious as I am on the highway traveling the speed limit, so I will take the highway."

[This message has been edited by WATER TOWER (edited 8/6/2008 4:07p).]

I did a 360 after making a left hand turn onto George Bush from Anderson (coming from a complete stop) in my Camaro after it had barely started raining last semester. I was lucky there was no one immediately in the lanes traveling the opposite direction. They would've nailed me for sure.

Ever since then, rain and slick roads scare the hell of me...

I drive slow in the rain because I don't really want to die right now. seriously, It's simple, I know I feel safe driving slower.
If you don't like a slow driver in front of you sometimes I imagine it's my Granparents or a family member than I'm ok with it.

quote:

---

the speed limit is 70, typically the average speed is about 57

---

Source?

We're talking about driving on the highway in the rain, and you say its ridiculous if you drive anything less than 65? Several of you need a clue. And don't forget you're being criminals if you're driving too fast for the road conditions.

If you want to drive 40 mph, you need to be off the highway. You are driving in an unsafe manner. Just get on the feeder road. Slowing down to 55-60 is one thing, but 40 is ridiculous. Let me reiterate. It is not a safe practice.

To the OP :

actually it probably was easier and safer for him to be on the highway and not on the feeder. It is very hard to start after the light turns green without losing control if there is alot of ponding at the stop/in the intersection. Also when you say "truck" do you mean a semi? If so he was driving correctly. Those things take at least three times greater braking distance than cars and pickup trucks do.

When it rains here, everyone on the interstate either has to play beat the raindrops or they drive 15 miles an hour. I know because I ALWAYS get stuck behind the 15 mile an hour driver and see 15 mph on my speedometer. I cant get around them because the "beat the raindrops" race car drivers are always passing on either side. Let me tell you its pretty scary being forced to drive 15 mph on an interstate that has a posted speed limit of 70!

[This message has been edited by 1984Consol (edited 8/6/2008 5:24p).]

The speed limit is not a mandated speed you must travel at, as some on this thread seem to think, it is the maximum speed you are legally able to drive when conditions are safe.

Slow down in the rain and in heavy traffic(such as on University Dr., even though "the sign says 50mph" ).

[This message has been edited by Scotch (edited 8/6/2008 6:30p).]

quote:

---

but 40 is ridiculous

---

You've never been in rain that forced you to drive anything near 40? Never been in conditions where peole were pulled over because the rain was so heavy or the ponding so severe?

I've had to drive 25 on the feeder because rain and ponding were so bad. in hindsight, it probably would have been better to be on the highway so I didn't have to worry about ponding ruining my brakes or engine.