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The sad accident which has claimed the lives of 7 people in a chartered bus going through Atlanta was caused apparently by the driver taking an exit ramp thinking it was a traffic lane. How could that have happened?
He HAD to cross the short dashed lines that indicate an exit and there were numerous signs which said EXIT. See the picture with this link.
Are drivers REALLY that stupid? And I suppose the guy was a CDL (commercial driver's license) holder. Is there some other reason, that I don't see?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070310/ap_on_re_us/georgia_bus_wreck_accidents

2007-03-10 07:38:15 · 6 answers · asked by plezurgui 6 in Cars & Transportation Safety

Doesn't lane markings mean anything to anyone? Little short bars indicate an exit. The driver HAD to cross that line. Two big signs on each side of the ramp says EXIT.
BTW, I lived in Atlanta for 30 years and have driven that highway many times and have taken that exit a few times myself.
The left lane is NOT the "overtaking" lane like most highways. It is an HOV2 (High Occupancy Vehicles 2 or more people) lane. The "fast" lane is the next lane to the right from the HOV. Unfortunately, ALL the lanes in Atlanta are FAST lanes. There the speed limit is a minimum, not a suggestion.

2007-03-11 12:30:39 · update #1

6 answers

I am no traffic expert-just watched something on CNN last night about this whole incident.

Again, I am no traffic expert. I'm from NH, so that type of driving is very different from NH. NH doesn't have a lot of congestion like the Atlanta area does.

Anyway, I digress. With that being said-I noticed something very peculiar about the signage for that exit. Where are the speed limit signs for the ramp? 25 MPH? Also, should there be signs that say "LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY" for that exit. Shouldn't there be a sign that reads "THRU TRAFFIC" for the continuation of the HOV lane? Wonder if this would have helped the driver?

Supposedly, there was another incident very similar to this with a girls softball-not sure if was Bluffton U. though.

P.S. I've driven thru the NY metro area and there are many signs along the Cross-Bronx Xpwy that indicate where "LOCAL TRAFFIC" should go and "THRU TRAFFIC" should go.

2007-03-11 11:25:36 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Well I used to live in Atlanta, and I know that actual intersection and I can see why that bus driver had the accident, because Atlanta has always had problems with I-75 and Northside Drive exit, and if you drove it you will see why that driver had that accident. I truly believe that was an accident.

2007-03-10 16:13:20 · answer #2 · answered by Jai LaShay 2 · 0 0

iv been driving in the righ hand lane and poof its gone and im on the sholder...also here in Virgina on I 81 theres a spot where 4 lanes wide becomes 3 when the right lane tales an exit,,,its 4 lanes for miles so it doesnt seem to be an exit.

2007-03-10 15:45:33 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Probably because you don't really expect to have an exit ramp coming off the left lane - it's usually the thru-lane.

2007-03-10 16:35:22 · answer #4 · answered by Me 6 · 0 0

Is this really an exit slip road off the offside lane? That's insane, you can't take cars off the overtaking lane!

2007-03-10 17:18:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

I can tell YOU have never driven in Atlanta road hell...

2007-03-10 23:55:57 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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