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DannyRT
Newbie
Posts: 12
Registered: 4-12-2023
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Quote: Originally posted by BornFisher  | | Is the truck coming at you or are you behind it? If the truck is coming at you, then a ruined vacation is an understatement!!! |
Looks like that truck already passed him. Hate to see those kinds of drivers.
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pacificobob
Super Nomad
Posts: 2241
Registered: 4-23-2006
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I read somewhere recently that 96% of us drivers consider themselves "better than average" drivers.
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geoffff
Senior Nomad
Posts: 643
Registered: 1-15-2009
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | When the final section Hwy. 1 first opened... San Quintín to San Ignacio, in 1973, being that it was so narrow (19 ft.) and no shoulders, often on an
elevated levee or carved into cliffs, driving in the middle was the safest method. When an oncoming vehicle was seen, one would drift back into the
lane as best as you could fit. The government told us that this was just temporary to get the highway in, on budget. They said it would SOON be
widened! About 30 years passed before some 10-20 km. sections did get widened. This was around El Rosario and Nuevo Rosarito.
The late Nomad, 'jrbaja' posted this to illustrate the small margain of error on Mex. #1:
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Not a big deal in a Tacoma... but driving a motorhome or big camper, towing a boat or ? well, it can be butt pucker! |
Nice! I keep snapping photos like this to show to my friends who talk about bicycling Baja Highway 1. People do it!! But where do you go on a bicycle
when two trucks are passing you?? There just is no shoulder. Americans don't get it.
[Edited on 5-11-2023 by geoffff]
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17336
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: Originally posted by geoffff | | Quote: Originally posted by David K | When the final section Hwy. 1 first opened... San Quintín to San Ignacio, in 1973, being that it was so narrow (19 ft.) and no shoulders, often on an
elevated levee or carved into cliffs, driving in the middle was the safest method. When an oncoming vehicle was seen, one would drift back into the
lane as best as you could fit. The government told us that this was just temporary to get the highway in, on budget. They said it would SOON be
widened! About 30 years passed before some 10-20 km. sections did get widened. This was around El Rosario and Nuevo Rosarito.
The late Nomad, 'jrbaja' posted this to illustrate the small margain of error on Mex. #1:
...
Not a big deal in a Tacoma... but driving a motorhome or big camper, towing a boat or ? well, it can be butt pucker! |
Nice! I keep snapping photos like this to show to my friends who talk about bicycling Baja Highway 1. People do it!! But where do you go on a bicycle
when two trucks are passing you?? There just is no shoulder. Americans don't get it.
[Edited on 5-11-2023 by geoffff] |
Truck drivers know better than to pass each other when there is a 3rd vehicle already occupying a 2 lane road.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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PaulW
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3009
Registered: 5-21-2013
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Another scary situation is passing an 18 wheeler on a sharp curve.
Visualize the truck cab hugging the right side of the road and the rear of its trailer using one half or more of the oncoming lane that you are
traveling in. Even worse the lane you are traveling in has a guardrail and you have no place to go. When it happened to me I just barely cleared the
guardrail and the trailer. WOW.
No place to go.
Place - south on Hwy5 before the point of the mountain.
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LancairDriver
Super Nomad
Posts: 1587
Registered: 2-22-2008
Location: On the Road
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I have posted this one before, but it is a good illustration of the inches of separation on the narrow Baja 1 highway and the steep drop off for a
shoulder. Running a 50,000 lb rv and towed Jeep off that would be a big problem.
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5818
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
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Mood: Retireded
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Baja is the Darwinian school of truck driving! The failure rate is indicated by white crosses along the side of the road.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17336
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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Go slower in narrow, curvy segments… problem solved!
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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LancairDriver
Super Nomad
Posts: 1587
Registered: 2-22-2008
Location: On the Road
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Trucks can be dangerous on any highway and must be respected.
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stillnbaja
Junior Nomad
Posts: 90
Registered: 5-4-2023
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I think im more terrified of those "fearless"? bus drivers!
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5818
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
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Mood: Retireded
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I made the mistake of passing a bus on a long, straight uphill grade. He seemed to take it personally and rode my tail on the way down the other side
for miles until I found a spot I could safely get out of his way.
He showed every intention of passing me back, even if it was on a blind curve!
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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DannyRT
Newbie
Posts: 12
Registered: 4-12-2023
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Terrible accident! My uncle almost got involved in a multiple collision at the highway last year caused by a truck. He just came from the shop for the
replacement of the almost bald tires with new tires from 4Wheelonline. Definitely be more cautious when there are big trucks around you.
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RFClark
Super Nomad
Posts: 2339
Registered: 8-27-2015
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Mood: Looking forward to 2024
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This is both a comment on trucks in Baja and a road report.
First the road report.
From Cabo north to Vizcaino the road is in good condition generally with no detours. The National Guard checkpoint at KM 7 north of Santa Rosalia is
still operating, it was there when we went south 2 months ago.
The xray unit at the checkpoint north of Loreto is gone for the moment. All of the checkpoints were a wave-through this trip.
The road north of Vizcaino has 2 - 1Km+ dirt detours where they are replacing and widening the road. North of the 28th in BC the road has quite a few
potholes all the way to the HWY5 turnoff and is in need of repair.
HWY 5 also has lots of potholes north to Mexicali
Now to trucks.
Generally we pass at least 2 recent major truck accidents on our trip north. I think this time we saw 4 major accidents most seemed to be equipment or
driver related as they didn’t seem to involve a 2nd truck or car.
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DannyRT
Newbie
Posts: 12
Registered: 4-12-2023
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Good report, Clark. Too bad to hear about those accidents.
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Tacayo
Newbie
Posts: 21
Registered: 11-19-2021
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Last Spring I was driving north just past Jesus Maria when a big rig came up fast behind me. As many of you know, this stretch is narrow, shoulderless
and elevated above the surrounding desert.
I knew the big rig wanted to pass so when I saw him pull out into the passing lane I slowed a bit to make it easier for him to get by. Then out of the
corner of my eye I realize he's coming back into my lane way too soon. I hear a loud whack as my side mirror is clipped and I hit the brakes hard.
Gracias a Dios somehow the truck barely squeezes in front of me and we avoid crashing.
A few moments later I contemplate the steep embankment that my Tundra was almost shoved down. Would the trucker have stopped to help I wonder (I
didn't think so). Would I have survived? Thankfully they were just gruesome thoughts and not reality.
But here's the kicker: A few miles later I come to a military check point. I'm asked to get out for a routine inspection. I look at my side mirror and
see the outer edge is scraped but still intact. My mind flashes back to the near wipeout.
I then notice that the offending big rig is stopped at the same check point. I tell the soldier who was checking out my vehicle that I was almost
killed by that truck over there. He points to it and asks excitedly,"that truck"? I say yes and I'm thinking oh goodie a little comeuppance. But no,
he just shook his head. No warning to the guy, no chit chat. Nada.
Lessons learned: Traileros rule the Baja roads and now I know what it's like to come within an inch of my life. And for whatever reason I still love
Baja despite getting the bejeebies scared out of me.
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baja-chris
Junior Nomad
Posts: 77
Registered: 5-23-2008
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What day of the week and times of day have the least truck traffic?
I want to tow an 8'6" wide boat to Baja Sur. I've towed flatbed car trailers that wide down to La Paz a dozen or more times to haul race cars and
prerunners but never a boat. The difference being the boat itself is 8-6 wide whereas the race cars are closer to 7'6" wide so a truck mirror is that
much further away. I'd take as many days as it takes to run when safest and at a pace that minimizes getting passed by semi's or passing them.
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chippy
Super Nomad
Posts: 1697
Registered: 2-2-2010
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After towing a number of boats and trailers to the tip over the years. My rule is don´t tow at night and I don´t tow on sunday (lots of drinking and
driving going on) or on mondays (sundays drinkers are either hung over or still drunk). Time of day didn't seem to matter.
[Edited on 9-5-2023 by chippy]
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DannyRT
Newbie
Posts: 12
Registered: 4-12-2023
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| Quote: Originally posted by chippy | After towing a number of boats and trailers to the tip over the years. My rule is don´t tow at night and I don´t tow on sunday (lots of drinking and
driving going on) or on mondays (sundays drinkers are either hung over or still drunk). Time of day didn't seem to matter.
[Edited on 9-5-2023 by chippy] |
Lol. Very reasonable to avoid those times.
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