Your Best Defensive Driving Tips?

[Mazdiod2]

Here's a lesson about the importance of defensive driving.

There was a major pileup in southern Colorado Feb 18 which is described in this article:

Five people were killed in the crash on I-25 south of Pueblo on Feb. 17.

PUEBLO, Colo. — A vehicle pulling a trailer that was traveling between 15 and 20 mph on Interstate 25 with a posted speed limit of 75 was rear-ended last month, resulting in a massive pile-up on the highway that involved 29 vehicles, killing five people and injuring more than two dozen others.

The crash happened around 10 a.m. on Feb. 17 in the northbound lanes of the highway south of Pueblo during extreme winds that created low visibility. According to a preliminary report released Friday from the Colorado State Patrol, a 2016 Ford Escape was traveling in the right lane when the driver struck a 2011 GMC Sierra that was hauling a trailer. Both people inside the Escape were killed.

According to CSP, the driver of Sierra was only traveling between 15 and 20 mph when they were struck from behind. After the two vehicles collided, the Escape rotated clockwise and became disabled in the left lane facing east. The GMC Sierra continued northbound and came to a stop on the right shoulder of northbound I-25.

A 2004 Kenworth W900, also hauling a trailer, was sideswiped when the driver slowed down due to the conditions and the previous crash. It was struck by a truck hauling a livestock trailer, which became detached due to the crash. The truck continued off the road and struck the Sierra on the shoulder.

As a result of those crashes, the highway was blocked, resulting in a series of collisions behind them, CSP said. Twenty-nine people were taken to the hospital. One of them later died. Ten people involved in the pile-up were not hurt, CSP said.

CSP said previously that the highway was open at the time of the crash, but conditions deteriorated suddenly due to the weather. Reduced visibility due to “brown-out” conditions was a contributing factor to the crash, CSP said.

The victims were identified as David Kirscht, his son Scott Kirscht, both from Walsenburg; Mary Sue Thayer and Thomas Thayer from Rye; and Karen Ann Marsh from Pueblo, according to the Pueblo County coroner.

Vehicle was going about 20 mph on highway, sparking 29-car chain reaction in 'brownout' conditions

Five people were killed in the crash on I-25 south of Pueblo on Feb. 17.

www.9news.com

 

[ADS-B]

There are two limits. A maximum and a minimum. Unfortunately, Colorado, as far as I know, does not have a minimum speed limit required for freeways ( aka "interstate"). And Colorado is not the only state. Texas is the same, I live in Texas now. It only says "it is illegal to drive so slowly that you obstruct the normal and reasonable flow of traffic" (Tex. Transp. Code §545.363). Under no circumstance you should be allowed to drive on a freeway so slow. Ever. Yet, here we are, in America. You can't tell me how to drive, that's not freedom, blah blah. So, yeah. Keep your eyes on the road, you never know when you run into a slow driver.

 

[Mazdiod2]

Some freeways have a lower limit of 40mph.
There are signs on some highways like "Do not drive into smoke" .

I think the Colo State patrol's position is to slow down and pull completely off the highway if you aren't able to proceed.
There were extremely high winds (which caused the dust storm) and they also have problems with high profile vehicles getting blown over so some of these vehicles would have been better off parking for a few hours.

 

[N7turbo]

There are signs on some highways like "Do not drive into smoke" .

Hell, I learned that from watching Days of Thunder as a child

 

[morgantruce]

We had rain and heavy fog while driving a 55 mph highway yesterday. About a third of the cars did not even bother to turn on taillights -- though you could barely see the car in front.

 

[Lazy2.5]

My opinion:

15-20MPH is too slow for the average highway, but if visibility was truly awful at the time, then perhaps it was not too slow for the conditions. That distinction needs to be made and accounted for when considering any poor driving conditions.

Let's assume that the Ford Escape driver was going 75MPH. - He did not see the hazardous scenario up ahead (A trailer estimated to be going 15mph through poor visibility) - He is also at fault for this pile-up. If he did not see, he did not take the due-diligence to follow at a safe distance OR slow down and prepare himself for what's ahead.

There are a long list of people who are ready to drive as fast as the drivers in front of them will allow, follow too closely, ignore driving conditions, and then put the blame on someone else who also drove unsafely (etc. Too slowly.)

If you are such person, focus on what you can do to not add to the problem.

 

[Mazdiod2]

Often when there are high wind forecasts they are started mid-day. It's possible that some of these vehicles were suddenly enveloped by the dust cloud's forming (around 10am_) and they didn't have time to react.

On the other hand, after the initial collisions, another two dozen cars plowed into it.

The CSP just released this information, and they are still trying establish exactly what happened, and how.

 

[AL Cx5]

In 2025 and 2026 I've been driving 650 mile, one way four times. I usually leave at 5:30 AM to get through Nashville morning traffic.

I set CC 5 mph below posted speed limit and have playlists and podcasts. On the return, I usually get a late start and drive about 6 hours.

I've notice 650 miles solo is about my limit for one day. I become slower to see and react to up front issues. My FE, Fuel Efficiency, declines.

On one of these a farmer was towing way under the speed limit. I had been driving over 6 or 7 hours. I came up on him quick and made a major adjustment and missed him. Scared me.

If I had that circumstance in the first few hours I believe I would have seen and reacted faster.

Secondary roads being alert is a must. As I got out into the middle of the Plain states, farm equipment entering and going very slow are an ongoing challenge.

Point, how tired are you and equally important the other drivers. Now I make stops every 2 hours and MOVE my body for 5 to 10 minutes. At rest stops, I look around at the other car and truck drivers. Really look. Many of the truck drivers look exhausted. The average car driver in unfit and distracted.

I'm surprised we don't have more pile ups...

 

[morgantruce]

Regardless of what it is that is making travel extremely hazardous, you always have the option of pulling off the road for a short while. In fog or a downpour, the shoulder is not even far enough offf the road. Over many years, I remember each of these brief pauses as a pleasant experience---and why not? You probably just saved your life!