"work zone" speed limits on highways.
Posted by JoseAltuveIsInnocent@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 17 comments
I'm not a trucker, but I do travel often (my service area is Waco to Brownsville).
All my life in Texas I've seen these work zone signs on highways, and all my life I've never seen anyone actually slow down for them. The ones on access and city roads, sure. But on highways people seem to speed up if anything, to get out of them. Especially on 35/281. Absolutely no enforcement I've ever seen.
I'm just curious, as people who travel the country for work - is this the same across the US? Or just Texas drivers being Texas drivers.
Thanks for humoring my intrusive thought of the week - stay safe out there!
Responsible_CDN_Duck@reddit
People ignore them everywhere, and all too often they pay the price.
People seem to forget lane width, shoulder width, and other factors go into setting speed limits for a reason.
Saw someone bump another car doing a lane change and sending them into a parked excavator in a construction zone last year.
ComprehendReading@reddit
It's a technicality trap: the work zone is approved by the state DOT. The DOT doesn't need to have workers there to consider it a construction zone, as many projects take years to complete. The state troopers can then issue elevated citation fines, even if it's a Sunday on a holiday and the DOT is on strike.
Responsible_CDN_Duck@reddit
Even without workers the hazards such as equipment in medians or unavailable shoulders that dictate slower speeds still exist.
It's not a trap, it's just not intuitive to you.
holysquish@reddit
People that speed through constructions zones are garbage humans
Horchata415@reddit
I always go the posted speed limit, unless I’m in California and then I’ll do 59 in their stupid ass 55 mph bs.
lottanadatosay@reddit
Unless you’re in Shasta county…drones and bears everywhere
Dangerous_Ad1115@reddit
There are state employees whose job it is to monitor wrk zones. I am not sure if each work zone has an individual monitor or one monitor has several jobs to monitor each day. I know that the contractor is SUPPOSE to take down all of the work zone signage each day when the work is over for the day. Might be different in TX, but I don't think so.
kleenvwaudiguy@reddit
Texas has got some of the worst work zone signage I've ever seen. Miles and miles of work zone signs with no work being performed. I know the contractors are placing the signs but I feel like there is no oversight on the zones themselves
EnolaNek@reddit
I am inclined to agree, but there’s a work zone in far north Alabama on 65 that goes on for what, 25 miles? And the only work I’ve seen there so far is a bridge that has…something happening, supposedly. Comes, anyway. And one permanent overhead sign being put up on the shoulder. Other than that, it’s just miles and miles of 60/55 signs and nothing else.
truckensafely@reddit
Maybe the work is done at night?
EnolaNek@reddit
I’ve driven it day and night recently, and so far the people putting up the one sign are the only actual workers I’ve seen. Maybe I came through at the wrong time of night or the wrong day to see them though, because there appear to me to be pavement patches that are at most a few months old.
MajorHymen@reddit
It should be mandatory for all construction zone limits to only apply when workers are present. There’s plenty single lane roads all across the country with 65-70mph limits it’s fucking ridiculous to force people to drive 55 or god forbid 35-45 for 8-11 miles with no workers and no visible construction even on the closed lane.
ComprehendReading@reddit
In free states, school zones only apply when children are present.
Those same states say fuck you, pay us our fine for construction zones.
Capn_T_Driver@reddit
Every now and again I’ll see a photo vehicle in a work zone, but they’re about the only time I see people slow down, aside from workers being right up against the traffic lanes or equipment threatening to be in a traffic lane from a work area. The rest of the time… some folks might ‘limit’ themselves to five over the work zone limit.
Redsoxdragon@reddit
Shout out to NY state.
Do they even enforce those pics. I've got caught slipping in a company truck before but I've never had it brought up to me
deezkeys098@reddit
It’s the same. The only people who actually slow down for work zones are old people.
AsphaltPirate74@reddit
On weekends I don't slow down through work zones unless there's a sharp curve, a legitimate reason to slow down or I actually see some people working which is 1% of the time.
On weekdays, I don't slow down except for the same reasons above because sometimes there's no one even out there!
That's nationwide. The fastest I can go is 65 mph in my truck though.