Cables on Interstate

[Thinker]

MDOT hopes cables will save lives on the interstate

It's your worst nightmare. A car is speeding straight toward you with no chance for you to get out of the way. MDOT officials said the likelihood of head on collisions on Interstate 10 will soon drop dramatically because of a new cable barrier system going up.

Long ago I learned defensive driving, later I learned to fly and in both cases was taught to have a plan "B".  A spot to steer to or a place to land (VFR) in case things turn bad.   

The cables bother me.  In the right lane, I can hit the ditch.  In the left lane I always had the comfort of knowing I could dive to the center median or ditch.  Now, with the cables installed so close to the lane, I don't even have a safety shoulder.  I would be crushed between the cable barrier and the 18 wheeler who suddenly occupies my lane while I am in it. 

[gregw98]

I was wondering why they didn't put them down the middle.  Seems rather odd to have them so close to the left Southbound lanes.  But then again, this is Mississippi.

[Thinker]

I was wondering why they didn't put them down the middle.  Seems rather odd to have them so close to the left Southbound lanes.  But then again, this is Mississippi.

My point exactly....   

[Altus62]

But then again, this is Mississippi.

[gefroren]

 Seems like if you hit them on close side they would bounce you back in traffic..

[Altus62]

Seems like if you hit them on close side they would bounce you back in traffic..

Exactly.I agree with the above.They should have been put in the middle.Right by that Pearl River turnaround once,a guy was coming across towards me.I kept watching to see which way I'd have to go to avoid getting hit.

He wound up hitting the fence on the east side of the highway where all the gravel trucks drive.

[Doc Nab]

Seems like if you hit them on close side they would bounce you back in traffic..

That's what it's intended to do in order to prevent crossovers.  If you sideswipe the cable you should still be moving with traffic which wouldn't cause the horrific crashes like you see on crossovers.  There was a bad crash at 510 just the other day with a fatality. 

Glad to see them up.

[Thinker]

Seems like if you hit them on close side they would bounce you back in traffic..

That's what it's intended to do in order to prevent crossovers.  If you sideswipe the cable you should still be moving with traffic which wouldn't cause the horrific crashes like you see on crossovers.  There was a bad crash at 510 just the other day with a fatality. 

Glad to see them up.

On Southbound 59 they are very close to the left lane.  Would not both N and S traffic get equal protection if the cables were in the middle.  That would also provide a safety shoulder to traffic going both N & S that needs to pull left in a situation that does not require swiping the cable, but does require a pull over. 

Take the scenario of a Southbound driver in the left lane, with traffic also in the right lane.  She blows a tire and needs to pull out of traffic.  Where do you go that is totally out of the way of the traffic behind you?

[Ignignokt]

But then again, this is Mississippi.

The federal interstate is controlled by the feds.  These cables have been in use for at least a couple of decades,  all over the country.  We are just the last place to get them.

This has nothing to do with Mississippi politics.

Are they doing this where you think is so much better?

[Doc Nab]

 

Take the scenario of a Southbound driver in the left lane, with traffic also in the right lane.  She blows a tire and needs to pull out of traffic.  Where do you go that is totally out of the way of the traffic behind you?

When you blow a tire, you really don't have too much control to pick and choose, especially in the rain.  If "SHE" blows a tire, the cables will keep her from crossing over.  Also, you should never stop on the left shoulder.  Cables not there---Scenario 1, SHE crosses over and causes multible fatalities.  Scenario 2, SHE is on the telephone while putting on makeup gazing into the sunvisor mirror and does not notice that SHE's had a blowout.   

[Altus62]

 I'm with Thinker.I think they should be in the middle,like they did on I-12.

[Thinker]

 

Take the scenario of a Southbound driver in the left lane, with traffic also in the right lane.  She blows a tire and needs to pull out of traffic.  Where do you go that is totally out of the way of the traffic behind you?

When you blow a tire, you really don't have too much control to pick and choose, especially in the rain.  If "SHE" blows a tire, the cables will keep her from crossing over.  Also, you should never stop on the left shoulder.  Cables not there---Scenario 1, SHE crosses over and causes multible fatalities.  Scenario 2, SHE is on the telephone while putting on makeup gazing into the sunvisor mirror and does not notice that SHE's had a blowout.

If I blow a tire in the left lane, there is traffic behind me, and to the right.  I don't have the option to cross to the large right shoulder and pull out of traffic.  So I am forced to scrape along the cable poles and now I have to have bodywork done and fix the flat.   Cables down the middle would also prevent the worst case scenario of crossing to oncoming traffic.   It may be Federal regulations to do it this way, but Louisiana did a better job of interpreting the Federal regs than Mississippi did.

[Doc Nab]

If I blow a tire in the left lane, there is traffic behind me, and to the right.  I don't have the option to cross to the large right shoulder and pull out of traffic.  So I am forced to scrape along the cable poles and now I have to have bodywork done and fix the flat.   Cables down the middle would also prevent the worst case scenario of crossing to oncoming traffic.   It may be Federal regulations to do it this way, but Louisiana did a better job of interpreting the Federal regs than Mississippi did.

[Doc Nab]

Oh, look!  I guess Missouri got it wrong too.  Maybe there's a rhyme and reason for the placement.

http://www.semissourian.com/story/1498880/photo/1198795.html

[Doc Nab]

http://www.masslive.com/talk/index.ssf/2011/08/just_ask_why_did_they_install.html