Who’s to blame for the frustration of changing lanes on I-5?

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Q: I often travel on Interstate 5 between the Bay Area and Oregon and read your article on the I-5 dive bombers. I’ve worked for three trucking companies and spent some time in the cab of a tractor. It’s scary when you see how cars don’t respect a semi-trailer truck weighing around 80,000 pounds.

I wish, rather than saying truckers hate it when cars cut into them, you mentioned how long it takes a truck to slow down, let alone come to a stop. Truckers always seem to be blamed if they jackknife, etc., but if a car stops in front of them while driving too slowly, that car is most likely the cause of the accident.

lori jones

A: That’s why I mentioned how dangerous it is for cars to cut big rigs, but the facts reinforce that point. A car traveling at 55 mph on dry pavement takes 300 feet to come to a complete stop. A big rig with good brakes, also going 55 mph, covers nearly three times as much distance, 800 feet, and takes 6 seconds before it can come to a complete stop. Drivers, if you cut a big rig, you put yourself and everyone else in danger. Do not do it.

Q: You failed to mention that when a person is caught behind a truck on I-5 and has a left turn signal on, a driver in the fast lane could and should let that car in, instead of hoping that the trapped motorist is not frustrated enough to cut in front of him.

Cleda Humes, Salinas

A: And here we go.

Q: After reading the comment about drivers using the slow lane and cutting into the passing lane when traffic is slow, I have to respond.

If the left lane bandits moved to the slow lane, that wouldn’t be a problem.

I drive I-5 frequently and have seen so many drivers take the fast lane and stay there, mile after mile, regardless of the traffic. Maybe if our governor and our politicians were driving I-5 one day, they could add a third lane instead of spending billions on high-speed rail, which won’t reduce I-5 traffic.

Charles Shoemaker, Sunnyvale

A: And…

Q: Interstate 5 needs three lanes. The Sacramento Brain Trust should use its surplus to expand I-5.

John Hamblin

A: There are no immediate plans to add a third lane on I-5.

Q: I hate dive bombers, but sometimes I understand the frustration. Trucks overtaking trucks are a problem, but the prevailing problem is that drivers are hogging the passing lane when they should be in the right lane. Move!

Anonymous

A: We all know that feeling.

Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at [email protected].

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