What would you do "safety discussion 2"

[TowZone]

 

 

 

 

And this is likely what an impaired driver sees.

 

 

Do you see the driver in the last image?

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[dperone]

That's why I seldom use my work lights on the roadside.  

[silverhawk]

I only use my lower floods, between the towtruck and the casualty.  My streamlight is used to see any other areas.

[goodmichael]

I do not think another driver necessarily needs to be impaired to become a party to this. This would be an ideal scene to place flares or cones out to give the operator space. Extremely dangerous scene. First off it is close to the exit ramp. Driver has increased the risk of a catastrophic failure by blinding oncoming traffic with work lights. Driver is on the traffic side of the highway. Visibility is further hindered due to darkness.

[towmaterbend]

blinding oncoming drivers does not make you safer; a class three vest, high vis gloves, high vis pants, a headlamp, a personal strobe, and more importanlty working the casualty from the shoulder would all be indicted for this job.

 

[Louwo]

Having a exit ramp there helps the buffer from traffic. Always have a eye behind you, I put the spare tire after taking it out of the trunk between me and traffic just for thinking if it gets hit I might react in that moment as I am prepping to lift and proceed with changing the tire. My vehicle will also be appx 20 ft behind with the DS tire on the white line wheels turned to the shoulder. Beacons only for a service I do not want the floods on no need. Nighttime and day time service on the big roads always put me in a protective mental zone.

[TowZone]

"Having a exit ramp there helps the buffer from traffic."

 

Having the exit ramp is a false sense of added security. Fact is an impaired driver would have to make a choice adding more distraction. If they choose to exit the obstacle is in their way even though in the breakdown lane.

 

"Always have a eye behind you"'

Use all your senses, I have found the eyes in the back of my head, depend heavily on the ears on the side of my head.

 

"I put the spare tire after taking it out of the trunk between me and traffic just for thinking if it gets hit I might react in that moment as I am prepping to lift and proceed with changing the tire."

 

First by the time the driver impaired or out strikes an obstacle place in their way it could be only a matter of seconds before your the next obstacle. In these images this was a tow, if it is a tire change then it should be a Tow First tire change. Tow the vehicle to and safer location, it's your life that's on the line. No tire should ever be changed on such roadways. Motor Clubs need to practice Tow First, I hope the program did not pass on with the passing of Dave Lambert.

 

"My vehicle will also be appx 20 ft behind"

 

I would say 20 feet or 2 car lengths sounds good but may be too much buffer and the approaching vehicle may swerve to miss the truck being used as an obstacle. Look at it this way the distracted driver swerves to miss the obstacle, in this case the Tow Truck. Then over corrects and ends up where, right there within that twenty feet. If your eight to ten feet back the vehicle would likely be further towards the front of the vehicle you are parked behind.

 

"with the DS tire on the white line wheels turned to the shoulder."

 

Be careful not to have any part of the service vehicle in the driving lane as that could be used later in court. Yes, it goes that way...

 

I used to be of the mindset that turning the wheels toward to shoulder or guardrail was the best maneuver. I felt that turning them into traffic would only cause more accidents. I had to be convinced and that took a law enforcement training video with a dramatization of both scenarios. The first vehicle strikes the vehicle with the wheels turned away from the roadway and continues on to strike the next vehicle. The vehicle that strikes the vehicle with the wheels turned toward the roadway is then blocked by that vehicle. Before that I would have argued the other way.

 

"Beacons only for a service I do not want the floods on no need."

 

Floods that blind oncoming traffic bad, other than that I do not have an educated opinion on the use of beacons in such scenarios. Damned if you do, Damned if you don't...

 

Note: I am not singling out Louwo for statements made in the reply post. Only passing only the knowledge I have gained over the years. A decade or two back and that reply could have been mine. The topics within Tow411 changed my viewpoint.