Dumb cop breaks rules, not at fault

[SkyHog]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3096434/vp/41680362#41680362

Looks like the cop tried to pass on the right, gets hit by a truck, the truck never sees him, and continues on his merry way.

Man hunt in progress from my understanding. Can't possibly be the cops fault for breaking the law, right?

Incidentally, while I was back in Santa Fe this last week, I saw the aftermath. That cop car was JACKED up. Whole front end was missing.

 

[MadseasoN]

Was that a two lane road and the 18 wheeler crossed over into his lane? I couldn't really tell from the video. In Texas the truck is at fault and it would not be illegal to pass someone on the right as long as it's not the shoulder lane*.

At any rate, and I could be wrong, but I think the Supreme Court ruled that police officers in police vehicles are exempt from traffic laws.



*you can pass on the shoulder if the vehicle in front of you is stopped and turning left.

 

[Clark1961]

Was that a two lane road and the 18 wheeler crossed over into his lane? I couldn't really tell from the video. In Texas the truck is at fault and it would not be illegal to pass someone on the right as long as it's not the shoulder lane*.

At any rate, and I could be wrong, but I think the Supreme Court ruled that police officers in police vehicles are exempt from traffic laws.



*you can pass on the shoulder if the vehicle in front of you is stopped and turning left.

First off, addressing your *. Nope, not around here. Passing on the right for a vehicle turning left is illegal. Think about it for just a half-second and you'll understand why. Also, as far as I know, Texas law doesn't apply in New Mexico.

As for folks being exempt from traffic laws, well that puts an added burden on the person claiming that exemption. The truck driver cannot be at fault for the incident because someone else broke the law.

 

[Obi Heed Kenobi]

...

At any rate, and I could be wrong, but I think the Supreme Court ruled that police officers in police vehicles are exempt from traffic laws.

....

What you *might* be thinking about is immunity from civil liability under certain circumstances.

 

[fgcason]

The truck driver cannot be at fault for the incident because someone else broke the law.

Oh yea?? I ended up with several tickets when someone else blatantly broke the law and rammed me. (ticket #1 in the batch was not yielding right of way..to a redlight runner. The tickets got silly after that one)

 

[kkoran]

Was that a two lane road and the 18 wheeler crossed over into his lane? I couldn't really tell from the video.

It was a single lane. The cop was trying to squeeze past the truck.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3096434/vp/41680362#41680362

Looks like the cop tried to pass on the right, gets hit by a truck, the truck never sees him, and continues on his merry way.

Man hunt in progress from my understanding. Can't possibly be the cops fault for breaking the law, right?

Incidentally, while I was back in Santa Fe this last week, I saw the aftermath. That cop car was JACKED up. Whole front end was missing.

Ugh. Major fail on BOTH their parts.

First off, the truck is *already changing lanes* before the cop tries to pass him on the right. This is a stunt that MANY "4-wheelers" try to pull - Signal goes on, truck starts to move over, car jumps into the lane (or accelerates until they're next to the truck) to try to prevent the truck from getting in front of them. Note to non-idiots everywhere: Don't do this. It's a great way to get killed.

Second - The truck driver was not using his turn signal during the lane change. The trailer's rear turn signal never comes on. The trailer side turn signal never noticeably comes on, but that could be partially due to the lighting and angles involved... But while the tractor's rear turn signal is obscured by the lower-third TV graphics, on this Kenworth T600 there is a turn signal on the back of the fender behind the steer tire, just in front of the upper step that is clearly visible in the latter part of the crash and does not turn on.

Third - The truck doesn't stop. I know full well that it's possible to hit some pretty big things in a truck without noticing it, but I don't think that's the case here. The cop realizes at the last minute that he's not going to make it and hits the brakes. This prevents any part of the tractor from hitting him, but that means that the truck can continue to move over basically unencumbered - The trailer will begin crushing the top part of the car to the right, and the trailer tires will hit the left rear corner of the car. (Nick - Are you sure it was the *front* end of the car that was messed up? Got pictures?) You're gonna feel that.

Fourth - That cop is REALLY lucky to be alive. If he'd have hit is brakes just a fraction of a second later, the trailer would have made it far enough over that the tires would have gone UP instead of to the side, and let me tell ya what, when that happens, Bad Stuff happens to the car - It's not designed to hold up what will most likely be at least a 17,000-pound loading on that set of tires. I've watched it happen, though in the accident I saw the trailer's left side hit the car's right side (and it was the car's fault in that one too) - And the roof of the car on the right side was crushed right down to the passenger seat. Had there been a passenger, they'd have been dead no question, completely crushed. Luckily, there wasn't.

So, the truck driver should get cited for changing lanes without a signal and for leaving the scene of an accident - And since there were injuries, that is likely to mean jail time.

The cop, OTOH, should get cited for improper passing (immunity be damned), should get canned, and should thank his lucky stars he's still around to get canned. I hope he never pulls such an IDIOT move again in any vehicle.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

BTW, some random thoughts as a former member of a trucking company's accident review board:

We had a fleet of 400 trucks, and every month roughly 10% of the fleet would be in an accident of some sort. Every single month, we charged over half of the involved drivers with a preventable accident - It was NEVER under 50%, and was sometimes as high as 90%. However, almost all of these were simple backed-into-something or cut-the-corner-too-close accidents. We were so sick of them that we'd start saying "Next!" partway through the safety director's presentation of the information - The answer was obvious.

I should note that a preventable accident does not mean that the other guy wasn't at fault, but that the truck driver could have avoided the accident. Drivers were not present for the initial accident review meetings, but if they disagreed with our verdict they could appeal, and appear at the meeting to plead their case. Most of the "questionable" cases were ruled preventable, but most of the appeals were granted.

We always knew when Tim pulled out a red folder instead of a manila folder that it was going to be a bad one. A red folder meant it was a DOT-recordable accident, involving at the minimum a vehicle that had to be towed from the scene, or an injury or death. Some months we wouldn't have any DOT-recordables, I think the worst I saw was three in a month.

The bad accidents were almost always caused by cars. The pictures (which could have been taken either by the driver, or more often the police when dealing with a DOT-recordable accident) weren't pretty. Luckily I only remember two fatals (of other people - We had two driver fatals as well, luckily not involving other vehicles), one of which was blatantly the car's fault (and the cops said so too) but the driver couldn't live with it and quit; the other one was a suicide (lady jumped off an overpass, timed just right to get hit by our truck). But I've also seen way too many fatal and near-fatal accidents in person, and it ain't pretty. I wish people would be smarter.

BTW, the DOT-recordable thing is interesting. It counts against the trucking company's official safety record regardless of fault. The most asinine situation was when one of our drivers witnessed an accident and pulled over to assist - And his (and his truck's) info ended up in the police report. We were charged with a DOT-recordable accident because our driver was a good samaritan.

 

[SCCutler]

Kent:

It may be partly because most of my long-distance travel is by plane (grin), but I have a new attitude about driving around the Big Trucks; they signal a lane change (usually to pass slower moving traffic), if I can reasonably accommodate them, I flash my headlamps to signal all clear, and wold back a reasonable distance to allow the maneuver. Interesting how many times I've had people behind me get all mad about it, and occasionally, someone whip around me and try to crash the gap. Not smart.

My only objection to trucks is when you have two or three of them in a governor-induced roadblock, line-abreast on a highway for 5 miles or more. I presume they are not doing it on purpose.

Have to be honest - talking with you helped me to better-understand what goes on "up there."

 

[timwinters]

Passing on the right for a vehicle turning left is illegal. Think about it for just a half-second and you'll understand why. Also, as far as I know, Texas law doesn't apply in New Mexico.

Legal or not, I do it frequently especially if the two lane highway has a good shoulder. It doesn't even have to be paved, as long as it's level and dry.

And I do it because I feel quite vulnerable sitting on a highway just waiting for a texting idiot (or someone else that's simply not paying attention) to come up behind me and not realize that there are two cars dead stopped on the highway...until it's too late. This is especially worrisome in southern MO because many of our highways are built on rolling terrain with very limited sight distances ahead.

If I'm at a 4 way intersection, I typically do not pass on the shoulder because someone who is coming the other way could be turning left. But if the car in front of me is turning left into a driveway or at a "T" interection...then I'm around them in a flash but at a very slow speed...10mph or so.

If it's illegal in MO (and I have no idea if it is or not) then I'll consider my ticket, if I ever get one, as very cheap insurance.

 

[Everskyward]

*you can pass on the shoulder if the vehicle in front of you is stopped and turning left.

Maybe it is in Texas but it isn't such a swift idea to begin with unless you are going pretty slowly. I saw someone lose his life in an instant doing this. I was driving the car that was stopped to make a left turn. He lost control in the shoulder and spun into the cement mixer going the other way.

 

[Dean]

Legal or not, I do it frequently especially if the two lane highway has a good shoulder. It doesn't even have to be paved, as long as it's level and dry.

And I do it because I feel quite vulnerable sitting on a highway just waiting for a texting idiot (or someone else that's simply not paying attention) to come up behind me and not realize that there are two cars dead stopped on the highway...until it's too late. This is especially worrisome in southern MO because many of our highways are built on rolling terrain with very limited sight distances ahead.

If I'm at a 4 way intersection, I typically do not pass on the shoulder because someone who is coming the other way could be turning left. But if the car in front of me is turning left into a driveway or at a "T" interection...then I'm around them in a flash but at a very slow speed...10mph or so.

If it's illegal in MO (and I have no idea if it is or not) then I'll consider my ticket, if I ever get one, as very cheap insurance.

Tim,

Passing on the shoulder(right) IS illegal here in Missouri. I can not speak for all LEO's, but the only time I ever enforced this was at intersections. I worked some really bad crashes where two car were both turned left at an intersection and someone passed on the shoulder hit the car in the passenger side as it turned. Probably the only agency that will write you for this is MSHP, County Deputies have real criminals to catch.

 

[Obi Heed Kenobi]

Tim,

Passing on the shoulder(right) IS illegal here in Missouri. ....

Explains all of those Missouri drivers that pass me on the right here.

 

[timwinters]

Tim,

Passing on the shoulder(right) IS illegal here in Missouri. I can not speak for all LEO's, but the only time I ever enforced this was at intersections. I worked some really bad crashes where two car were both turned left at an intersection and someone passed on the shoulder hit the car in the passenger side as it turned. Probably the only agency that will write you for this is MSHP, County Deputies have real criminals to catch.

Yeah, but we also have a law stating that you gotta stay right except to pass (not that it's abided by). A lot of states don't have this law and when someone's out in the left lane talking on their phone, doing 5mph below the speed limit, oblivious to the world around them...what choice do you have?

I will come up behind them and flash my lights trying to get their attention but, if that doesn't work, I'm around them on the right.

I got pulled over outside of Columbus, OH a few months ago doing this. Just got a warning though. I think he used it as an excuse to check for other more nefarous things...shady looking dude that I am.

Yeah, I drive aggressively. Driving about 30k to 40k miles a year will do that to you. But, if you think I'm bad now, you should have seen me 20 years ago!

 

[Clark1961]

Oh yea?? I ended up with several tickets when someone else blatantly broke the law and rammed me. (ticket #1 in the batch was not yielding right of way..to a redlight runner. The tickets got silly after that one)

You're right, I've known other folks who were ticketed for failure to yield to a red light runner. Isn't "no fault" wonderful?

There were a lot of assumptions in my post and it didn't apply to the situation in the OP of the thread.

 

[Maxmosbey]

Where I grew up in Iowa, drivers who are going to turn left will very often pull into the oncoming lane and allow traffic to pass them on the right while they slow down and make the turn. So anyway, I have driven for years in rural areas of Mexico along the Pacific coast. Up until two years ago I thought that it was strange that when I was on a two lane black top and going to make a left turn, as soon as I put on my turn signal everyone behind me would pass me. I almost got hammered several times before I learned that those crazy Mexicans were out to kill me and I would make sure that none of them were going to jump out there before I made the turn. A couple years ago I found out that to turn left, at least in the areas that where I drive, you are supposed to pull off the road to the right, wait for traffic behind you to clear, then turn left from there. I also found out that a left turn signal means that it is clear for cars behind you to pass. Man, I was screwing up the whole system for years. I the bigger cities, where there is four lane streets, there is generally a frontage road to the right side. If you want to turn, you have to get over in the frontage road. Then if you want to turn left, you have to wait at a stop light for a green arrow, which allows you to cross all four lanes of traffic from the far right side. I have found that way of doing it works pretty well, as long as some gringo isn't out there to mess it up. It really allows traffic to keep moving. OK, that has nothing to do with Nick's original post, I just think it is interesting.

 

[Maxmosbey]

Yeah, but we also have a law stating that you gotta stay right except to pass (not that it's abided by). A lot of states don't have this law and when someone's out in the left lane talking on their phone, doing 5mph below the speed limit, oblivious to the world around them...what choice you have?

I will come up behind them and flash my lights trying to get their attention but, if that doesn't work, I'm around them on the right.

I got pulled over outside of Columbus, OH a few months ago doing this. Just got a warning though. I think he used it as an excuse to check for other more nefarous things...shady looking dude that I am.

Yeah, I drive aggressively. Driving about 30k to 40k miles a year will do that to you. But, if you think I'm bad now, you should have seen me 20 years ago!

I have been seeing this a lot more often lately. People just get in that passing lane and stay there. I don't know what is going on with that.

 

[kkoran]

Ugh. Major fail on BOTH their parts.

First off, the truck is *already changing lanes* before the cop tries to pass him on the right. This is a stunt that MANY "4-wheelers" try to pull - Signal goes on, truck starts to move over, car jumps into the lane (or accelerates until they're next to the truck) to try to prevent the truck from getting in front of them. Note to non-idiots everywhere: Don't do this. It's a great way to get killed.

Second - The truck driver was not using his turn signal during the lane change. The trailer's rear turn signal never comes on. The trailer side turn signal never noticeably comes on, but that could be partially due to the lighting and angles involved... But while the tractor's rear turn signal is obscured by the lower-third TV graphics, on this Kenworth T600 there is a turn signal on the back of the fender behind the steer tire, just in front of the upper step that is clearly visible in the latter part of the crash and does not turn on.

Third - The truck doesn't stop. I know full well that it's possible to hit some pretty big things in a truck without noticing it, but I don't think that's the case here. The cop realizes at the last minute that he's not going to make it and hits the brakes. This prevents any part of the tractor from hitting him, but that means that the truck can continue to move over basically unencumbered - The trailer will begin crushing the top part of the car to the right, and the trailer tires will hit the left rear corner of the car. (Nick - Are you sure it was the *front* end of the car that was messed up? Got pictures?) You're gonna feel that.

Fourth - That cop is REALLY lucky to be alive. If he'd have hit is brakes just a fraction of a second later, the trailer would have made it far enough over that the tires would have gone UP instead of to the side, and let me tell ya what, when that happens, Bad Stuff happens to the car - It's not designed to hold up what will most likely be at least a 17,000-pound loading on that set of tires. I've watched it happen, though in the accident I saw the trailer's left side hit the car's right side (and it was the car's fault in that one too) - And the roof of the car on the right side was crushed right down to the passenger seat. Had there been a passenger, they'd have been dead no question, completely crushed. Luckily, there wasn't.

So, the truck driver should get cited for changing lanes without a signal and for leaving the scene of an accident - And since there were injuries, that is likely to mean jail time.

The cop, OTOH, should get cited for improper passing (immunity be damned), should get canned, and should thank his lucky stars he's still around to get canned. I hope he never pulls such an IDIOT move again in any vehicle.

Where do you see lane markings? I don't see a line to the right of the truck as the police car approaches from the rear or after the collision as the truck pulls ahead. The space the cop was trying to use was narrow (less than a normal lane) and getting narrower. If the cop had been 100 feet farther back and saw some car try to pass like this, that driver would be getting a citation.

Interesting how the video starts when the police car is so close to the truck that you can't see the pavement behind the the truck. Who here thinks that cops would never spin a story to their advantage?

 

[SkyHog]

Where do you see lane markings? I don't see a line to the right of the truck as the police car approaches from the rear or after the collision as the truck pulls ahead. The space the cop was trying to use was narrow (less than a normal lane) and getting narrower. If the cop had been 100 feet farther back and saw some car try to pass like this, that driver would be getting a citation.

Interesting how the video starts when the police car is so close to the truck that you can't see the pavement behind the the truck. Who here thinks that cops would never spin a story to their advantage?

If it helps, that area is under construction. That area is right where the right 2 lanes cross the median to the other side, where the road essentially becomes a 4 lane highway divided only by k-rails. What you may be seeing is the narrowing of the lanes due to construction.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Where do you see lane markings? I don't see a line to the right of the truck as the police car approaches from the rear

That's because they're *already under the truck.* I didn't base my statement on lane markings, but on the amount of space between the truck and the edge of the pavement. The lane markings would be roughly just inside the inner right duals of the truck when the video starts.

or after the collision as the truck pulls ahead.

They're there, if you look VERY carefully - They're not very visible due to the poor quality and compression of the video. But there is a white line on the right, and a dashed line in the middle...

 

[kkoran]

This video provides a much better view of the incident. The truck driver apparently couldn't make up his mind about which lane he wanted so he straddled the line. The truck driver should have picked a lane and stayed in it (and should have stopped after the collision), but I think the cop demonstrated very bad judgment by attempting to pass under those conditions.

 

[Maxmosbey]

This video provides a much better view of the incident. The truck driver apparently couldn't make up his mind about which lane he wanted so he straddled the line. The truck driver should have picked a lane and stayed in it (and should have stopped after the collision), but I think the cop demonstrated very bad judgment by attempting to pass under those conditions.

I agree. To me it looks like they both were being stupid, but it depends on whether you dislike cops, or truckers. On my part, I am not a fan of truckers.

 

[SkyHog]

I agree. To me it looks like they both were being stupid, but it depends on whether you dislike cops, or truckers. On my part, I am not a fan of truckers.

I don't think it looks that way at all. What it looks like is a trucker that was partially over in the left lane, saw the cop, and decided he had better stay in the right lane.

In the mean time, the cop, driving way too fast for a construction zone, decides to zoom past the truck in the right lane, IN THE TRUCK'S BLIND SPOT, and gets creamed.

Cop says it best: "Oh ****!"

 

[Maxmosbey]

I don't think it looks that way at all. What it looks like is a trucker that was partially over in the left lane, saw the cop, and decided he had better stay in the right lane.

In the mean time, the cop, driving way too fast for a construction zone, decides to zoom past the truck in the right lane, IN THE TRUCK'S BLIND SPOT, and gets creamed.

Cop says it best: "Oh ****!"

Of course it doesn't look that way to you Nick. I wouldn't expect it to.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I don't think it looks that way at all. What it looks like is a trucker that was partially over in the left lane, saw the cop, and decided he had better stay in the right lane.

OK, that is a much better view - And I've gotta say, the truck driver ****ed up big-time. You can see that he starts in the right lane, signals a change to the left lane, nearly completes it, and then comes back over to the right without signaling. Fail.

Now, that doesn't mean that the cop's not a freaking idiot for attempting that move, but that truck driver screwed up, plain and simple.

 

[kkoran]

OK, that is a much better view - And I've gotta say, the truck driver ****ed up big-time. You can see that he starts in the right lane, signals a change to the left lane, nearly completes it, and then comes back over to the right without signaling. Fail.

Now, that doesn't mean that the cop's not a freaking idiot for attempting that move, but that truck driver screwed up, plain and simple.

The point is, the truck had not completed the lane change and was still using about 2 feet of the right lane. I would say they both screwed up, plain and simple.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

The point is, the truck had not completed the lane change and was still using about 2 feet of the right lane. I would say they both screwed up, plain and simple.

Yes - But I can see how the cop could have made the assumption that the truck was going to complete the signaled lane change. Still a stupid move, however.

BTW, when a truck curves to the left, that is the WORST time to pass them on the right. They can't see anything to the right of their trailers. In this case, though, the cop wasn't next to the trailer until the truck was straightened out.

This reminds me - I forget which company it is, but there is a trucking company whose trailers all have the following markings on the lower part of the rear doors:

<-- PASSING SIDE WHITESPACE WHITESPACE SUICIDE -->

 

[fgcason]

This reminds me - I forget which company it is, but there is a trucking company whose trailers all have the following markings on the lower part of the rear doors:

I saw one of those last summer in NM or AZ or somewhere like that. Amusing.

Is it considered poor form for truckers to have car/suv sillouettes stamped on the driver door just below the window? There was one at a truckstop that was well on it's way to becoming an ace.

 

[timwinters]

Speaking of passing on the right...

There are two stretches of highway where I regularly see all the trucks stay in the left lane becuase the right lane is rougher than a cob. One is in Kentucky and the other in Iowa.

I don't blame the truckers. These stretches have horrible right lanes and everyone seems to simply mirror image the driving rules.

 

[Dean]

Yeah, but we also have a law stating that you gotta stay right except to pass (not that it's abided by). A lot of states don't have this law and when someone's out in the left lane talking on their phone, doing 5mph below the speed limit, oblivious to the world around them...what choice do you have?

I will come up behind them and flash my lights trying to get their attention but, if that doesn't work, I'm around them on the right.

I got pulled over outside of Columbus, OH a few months ago doing this. Just got a warning though. I think he used it as an excuse to check for other more nefarous things...shady looking dude that I am.

Yeah, I drive aggressively. Driving about 30k to 40k miles a year will do that to you. But, if you think I'm bad now, you should have seen me 20 years ago!

Tim,
It is OK to pass on the right if they are in the left lane and you are in the right. It is illegal to pass on the shoulder or travel off the roadway to pass them on the right.
And I agree with the left lane drivers, that is one thing that I will write in a heart beat.

 

[Maxmosbey]

I saw one of those last summer in NM or AZ or somewhere like that. Amusing.

Is it considered poor form for truckers to have car/suv sillouettes stamped on the driver door just below the window? There was one at a truckstop that was well on it's way to becoming an ace.

Things like that are sometimes cute, but when it comes down to any kind of litigation, it isn't so fun. If that trucker were in an accident, especially an accident that resulted in death or serious injury, those could come back to haunt him.

 

[MadseasoN]

First off, addressing your *. Nope, not around here. Passing on the right for a vehicle turning left is illegal. Think about it for just a half-second and you'll understand why. Also, as far as I know, Texas law doesn't apply in New Mexico.

As for folks being exempt from traffic laws, well that puts an added burden on the person claiming that exemption. The truck driver cannot be at fault for the incident because someone else broke the law.

No, obviously Texas law doesn't apply to New Mexico. Not going sit and research New Mexico traffic law though. I don't plan on ever driving there. I tried to imply that it's legal in some states, maybe in NM it is too, Or not.

I don't see any reason why passing on the right shoulder for a left-turning vehicle should be illegal. Please elaborate.

 

[jesse]

I don't see any reason why passing on the right shoulder for a left-turning vehicle should be illegal. Please elaborate.

The biggest problem is that you're blind to the intersection that the vehicle is turning into while you're doing it and the traffic in that intersection cannot see you.

 

[MadseasoN]

The biggest problem is that you're blind to the intersection that the vehicle is turning into while you're doing it and the traffic in that intersection cannot see you.

Usually you'll see cars passing on the right shoulder on rural two lane 2-way highways. The left turning vehicle could be turning into a drive or a road that T's from the main road. Some people, who actually know how to drive, will even move onto the shoulder of these roads to allow faster cars to pass on the left. Which is also legal.

I've yet to see a shoulder that runs through a 4-way intersecton (facetious).

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Is it considered poor form for truckers to have car/suv sillouettes stamped on the driver door just below the window? There was one at a truckstop that was well on it's way to becoming an ace.

*I* consider it poor form. I freaking hate those... Almost as much as the shark teeth that so many Pete 379 drivers put on their grills:

I think they're both highly unprofessional. We're not at war with cars (as much as we'd like to launch missiles at them when they pull stupid **** that puts our lives at risk).

I coulda been an "ace" but at the same time there's a wrecked station wagon in a junkyard somewhere that coulda had a sticker of my truck under its window too.

 

[gismo]

Legal or not, I do it frequently especially if the two lane highway has a good shoulder. It doesn't even have to be paved, as long as it's level and dry.

And I do it because I feel quite vulnerable sitting on a highway just waiting for a texting idiot (or someone else that's simply not paying attention) to come up behind me and not realize that there are two cars dead stopped on the highway...until it's too late. This is especially worrisome in southern MO because many of our highways are built on rolling terrain with very limited sight distances ahead.

The legality of passing stopped traffic on the right shoulder is one of the many traffic laws that vary considerably from state to state. It's definitely not legal in MN and there are many roads that have signs to that effect (even though it's illegal on all highways in the state). That said, I've never understood the reason behind the prohibition other than the potential for damage to the shoulder. Even that doesn't make much sense since it's perfectly OK to pull off the road and stop.

But as far as doing that to prevent getting rear ended I don't think that excuse would hold much water. You could always just leave a couple car lengths between you and the stopped left turner which would allow you to get out of the way if you noticed a car about to run into you from behind.

Passing on in the right lane when two lanes go in the same direction is also something which is legal in some states (like here) and not others. That one is more of a safety issue IMO but it also seems to me that prohibiting that simply makes it safer for drivers that are too stupid/lazy to clear the right lane adequately before moving into it.

 

[fgcason]

But as far as doing that to prevent getting rear ended I don't think that excuse would hold much water.

In some circumstances, the sole purpose of the legal system is to get you seriously killed. The culturally interesting part is that people tend to be more afraid of a ticket than death and will act accordingly.

You could always just leave a couple car lengths between you and the stopped left turner which would allow you to get out of the way if you noticed a car about to run into you from behind.

By the time you realize you're in trouble, even at relatively lower speeds, it's almost too late to get out of the way...and that's assuming you have a high enough thrust to weight ratio to get out of the way and are constantly watching behind you like a mouse in a room full of starving hawks.