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Oct 21, 2014

CONTROVERSY * USA: The tyranny of truck traffic ... or, you enjoy far more convenience in your life because of them

* Put trucks in their place

(Photo by Getty Images) 
Road and Truck, by Jack Baruth -October 16, 2014: ... I drive anywhere from 40,000 to 60,000 miles a year, much of it on freeways and the bulk of it east of the Mississippi, and I can report with certainty that this dismal state of affairs is now the rule rather than the exception. On the way to an endurance race in New Jersey, I saw two-lane freeways blocked by dual trucks more often than they were not... With trucks restricted to the right lane, the rest of us would be able to travel at a safe and reasonable speed without the sudden brake-checks and dangerous traffic stacking that accompany these “truck races” on the Interstate. No longer would we all be subject to the whims of someone whose judgment is clouded by everything from financial considerations to “Stacker 2” caffeine pills. If Wal-Marts across the country have to wait another six hours or so for their latest deliveries of plastic junk from China, I think that falls under the category of acceptable losses. If that means resurrecting one of the malaise era's signature slogans, that's okay...Trucks on the right: It's a law we can live with...

* Road and Track is clueless about big rigs and traffic
-Torque News, by Aaron Turpen -18 Oct 2014: ... Now let's talk solutions: Instead of restricting trucks to the right lane, let's restrict automobiles from the left lane in major metro areas. The logic is simple: trucks are generally passing through, not stopping, and "beltways" and the like have merely become more clogged arteries rather than the bypasses they were once meant to be. So the solution is to push trucks into the left lane and let the cars, who're entering and exiting continually, have the right hand lanes so that they can safely do so without passing in front of or trying to get around trucks in the process. This would make situations like this one far less likely... This solution has been lauded by truck drivers and others at both of the places I've shared it. It's simple, makes far more sense than the right lane, slower speed restrictions that would only add to the safety issues already happening, and allows commerce to flow unimpeded. The only argument given against this plan, so far, is that we're culturally tied to the idea that the left lane, even in heavy traffic, is somehow the "fast lane." Despite the obvious evidence to the contrary, as witnessed by any rush hour driver in any city in the United States (of A.)... Oh and John Baruth... the next time you drive that little Honda Accord of yours, remember that everything on it, the gas you're putting in it, the tires you're rolling on, and the asphalt you drive it upon were all brought together by trucks. In fact, so was the food you ate before you took off on your drive and so was the clothing you put on that morning before going out. You might not like the trucks that sometimes make your drive inconvenient, but you have to admit that you enjoy far more convenience in your life because of them...

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