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Author: Subject: Dangerous Truck Driver
DannyRT
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[*] posted on 5-10-2023 at 11:43 PM


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
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[*] posted on 5-11-2023 at 06:20 AM


I read somewhere recently that 96% of us drivers consider themselves "better than average" drivers.
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geoffff
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[*] posted on 5-11-2023 at 10:01 AM


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]




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mtgoat666
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[*] posted on 5-11-2023 at 10:09 AM


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.




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PaulW
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[*] posted on 5-11-2023 at 11:18 AM


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
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[*] posted on 5-13-2023 at 10:14 AM


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.


IMG_0846.jpeg - 182kB
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AKgringo
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[*] posted on 5-13-2023 at 11:31 AM


Baja is the Darwinian school of truck driving! The failure rate is indicated by white crosses along the side of the road.



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mtgoat666
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[*] posted on 5-13-2023 at 12:47 PM


Go slower in narrow, curvy segments… problem solved!



Woke!

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LancairDriver
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[*] posted on 5-13-2023 at 07:59 PM


Trucks can be dangerous on any highway and must be respected.


IMG_0704.jpeg - 64kB
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stillnbaja
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[*] posted on 5-13-2023 at 08:33 PM


I think im more terrified of those "fearless"? bus drivers!
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AKgringo
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[*] posted on 5-14-2023 at 06:50 AM


Quote: Originally posted by stillnbaja  
I think im more terrified of those "fearless"? bus drivers!


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
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[*] posted on 5-15-2023 at 10:31 PM


Quote: Originally posted by LancairDriver  
Trucks can be dangerous on any highway and must be respected.


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
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[*] posted on 5-17-2023 at 09:21 AM


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
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[*] posted on 9-3-2023 at 11:37 PM


Good report, Clark. Too bad to hear about those accidents.
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Tacayo
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[*] posted on 9-4-2023 at 09:44 AM


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
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[*] posted on 9-5-2023 at 11:58 AM


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
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[*] posted on 9-5-2023 at 01:07 PM


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
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[*] posted on 9-8-2023 at 12:25 AM


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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