Tag: trucks

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How Mad Should You Be About Slow Trucks?

Q: Why are semi trucks allowed to drive between 35-45 mph on Mount Baker Highway? The speed limit is a reasonable 55 mph that people already have a hard time managing. I commute daily to town and the trucks (usually Canadian) are increasing and very frustrating. They don’t care about the road rules and continue to be constant traffic hazards. International trucks don’t pay into our road taxes in upkeep or patrolling. So in essence, they get a free passage while locals who pay for the roads are unable to go the speed limit.

A: For a lot of people, driving is frustrating; maybe the most frustrating part of their day. One of the big reasons is, according to Ryan Martin in Psychology Today, goal-blocking. Goal-blocking occurs when you have a goal (getting to work on time), someone else interferes with that goal (driving slow and making you late), and there’s nothing you can do about it. Your frustration is real and shared by enough people to have its own term and an article in a psychology magazine. But that doesn’t fix anything, does it?

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Disturbed By Trucks

Q: I drove back last evening from Seattle to Bellingham and I was disturbed by the oversized, raised pickups that were speeding in the left lane, some with trailers behind them. I’ve also seen tandem dump trucks tailgating on I-5. What is the policy on speed enforcement of such vehicles as the oversized pickups and those with trailers? Are there statistics on such vehicles and collision rates?

A: On the surface this looks like a question about speeding trucks, but there are a lot of sub-topics crammed into those few sentences; modified vehicles, trailers, commercial trucks, tailgating, enforcement policies, and collision data. I’ll see if I can tackle all of that in the next few paragraphs. Since the questions were prompted by a trip on I-5, I thought it would be helpful to talk with a Washington State Trooper about their enforcement practices. Much of what you read here is informed by that conversation. Continue reading “Disturbed By Trucks”