It's never going to happen...

[Paul Mihalka]

Near Bloomsburg, PA:

 

[Alfred02]

LOL

That will never happen in any western country that I have been to.

[Rocer]

I have to wonder if the dots will be a slip hazzard in the rain especially when leaning into a curve. They tried something like that on sections of our 401 hwy (400 series highways are divided, multi-lane ) several years ago. The markers were ignored (duh!) and quietly disappeared. And we are always accused of being a "nanny state"!!

[Quinn]

It certainly would make passing a line of cars easier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, it's a pet peeve of mine when several cars stack up behind a slow driver with no intention of passing so you have to hang out in the danger zone clearing the whole line to get around them while worrying about one of them changing their mind and pulling out.

 

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[OoPEZoO]

Oh yeah....those dots SUCK! Slip hazard isn't a sufficient word to describe them. They have been using them in the Philadelphia suburban areas for as long as I can remember. They must use some extra thick sealing paint for them because water will lay on them in puddles. Its like hitting a solid sheet of ice (in a car or on a bike).

 

Cops will also pull you over for tailgating if they are having a slow day and you don't adhere to it. They tend to only paint them in very congested areas that are known for aggressive driving. That usually means they only show up on the surface streets that have become short cut roads between major highways. The traffic congestion grew faster than they could prepare the roads for that level of use. I guess someone thought this was a good solution

[KevinH]

We have those here in Pittsburgh......we call them Pot Holes.

[upflying]

We cops would call that a "target rich environment" in Ca.

The black and white sign means you must obey.

[Sonor]

Speaking of getting a ticket for "tail gaiting" I just learned in North Carolina if a cop says, "I'm not writing you up for speeding but I am for following too close." They are NOT doing you a favor. Speeding is usually around 2 to 3 points to your license. Following too closely is an automatic 4 points.

[Sonor]

Hey just a thought, can you make them into a slalom course? Sounds like it could be fun ...

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Wow. What's the speed limit there Paul?

[Paul Mihalka]

Wow. What's the speed limit there Paul?

If I remember well, it is 45. I never see that distance held on a 65mph Interstate with people driving at 80.

[tallman]

Blatant profiling.

 

Dot's what I have to say about that.

 

[BFish]

lotta paint for all those dots. not dots either...too big.

[Mister Tee]

Two freaking dots apart?

 

Seriously?

[upflying]

Two freaking dots apart?

 

Seriously?

Nutz, try that in Ca and you would travel in reverse from all the traffic merging into the gap.

[Ken H.]

Besides, it’s not the following too close, it’s the stopping too long that’s the problem.

 

The dots make no sense to me as appropriate following distance is speed based not distance based. At the right speed following with bumpers virtually 1 ft apart would be no issue.

 

If they really wanted to do something about rear end collisions (presumed the issue in the first place) then something educating / enforcing the two second rule would be more apropriate, yes? Distance traveled at speed over time is a better indicator of safety margin than just a fixed distance.

 

Seems to me this would also encourage target fixation. If I’m concentrating on the when the car in front of me crosses over his dot vs. when I cross over mine, I’m doing so at the expense of overall big picture situational awareness. Yeah bumper of the car in front of me is well in my consciousness, the kid on the side of the road – not so much.

 

Overall seems about as dumb as the pop up child illusion that was tried a while back and was so deservingly ridiculed.

[leikam]

I kind of like the concept. I'm guessing that the dots are spaced to result in a 2-second gap with both cars going at the speed limit. The math is dead simple and I can see how it would help people visualize how big the recommended gap is.

 

But I also agree that few people have any motivation to maintain that kind of following distance.

[enfoman]

Seems there is a secret plot for a contractor to make a little bit more ca$h in the pocket with all of that paint. The answer has always been right in front of their noses all along with the divided lines that are generally 16 feet long or two car lengths. Two of these at 45 mph spacing should do the trick just the same except there isn't revenue in that scheme.

[TyTass]

But you have to remember ... the contractor simply performed the work (hopefully according to the contract). The question is, and continues to be, who let THAT contract and awarded it?