Another Deadly Accident on Route

[Trinityfarm]

Just north of the Calvert County line with Ann Arundel, southbound direction at Lower Pindell Road. 2 people killed and 1 person in critical condition. Occured during rush hour traffic. Not sure what occured but speed is always a problem in morning going North and night going South. My driveway has direct access to Route 4 so I see everthing. TRUST ME! Try entering your driveway with a 30 foot horse trailer and dually truck. Not pretty and people get mad at me! Why can't people slow down and respect their neighbors. How many more people need to die before we all wake up!

 

[White Buddah]

That sucks. But, if too many more people die, nobody will be waking up.

 

[twinoaks207]

Route 4 is now a racetrack. It is impossible to go even close to the actual speed limit there safely. I see people routinely doing 70-80 on that particular stretch of the road. Personally, I wouldn't mind at all if the cops did rolling roadblocks each rush hour every day for the next year -- perhaps then, three or four more people might slow down enough to save someone's life.

It will not change until something drastic is done by law enforcement. People are just idiots when they drive these days.

 

[dn0121]

Coming in to Calvert across the TJ Bridge Im routinly passed and Im doing about 55. Speed limit is 45. I always catch up with them at the light because it is normally red and then they fly by doing at least 80 again. Im going around 65 just to stay out of the way. I've seen too many speeding tickets given and a few accidents to go any faster.

 

[HouseCat]

Just north of the Calvert County line with Ann Arundel, southbound direction at Lower Pindell Road. 2 people killed and 1 person in critical condition. Occured during rush hour traffic. Not sure what occured but speed is always a problem in morning going North and night going South. My driveway has direct access to Route 4 so I see everthing. TRUST ME! Try entering your driveway with a 30 foot horse trailer and dually truck. Not pretty and people get mad at me! Why can't people slow down and respect their neighbors. How many more people need to die before we all wake up!

That respect needs to go both ways. If someone is the left lane holding up traffic and you see a line of people behind you wanting to get by....move over. Stay in the slow lane if you want to drive the speed limit. People aren't going to slow down.

I drive Rt 4 every day and I never have a problem in the right lane driving the speed limit....never.

 

[glhs837]

To be honest. most of the accidents on Rt in Calvert have not been speed related, but failure to yield. Meaning someone entered the main roadway and got broadsided. And I agree, you folks going 55-65, you only think folks are going 70-80 on a regular basis. Its very hard to judge how much faster than you another car is going, thats why police have radar.

I might hit 70 on occasion, but I and most folks I see are hitting 65 in the left lane, with folks in the right doing 55-60. As noted above, if your in the left lane doing 55, please move over when you can safely. Makes everyone lives easier. If I'm there doing 65, and someone approaches from the rear going faster, I move over. The only real way to reduce the fatals on Rt is is to either educate drivers about right of way, or redesign the highway. Focusing on speed is a false sense of security.

Two killed in Lothian crash: Police identify 3 victims in double-fatal Lothian crash - baltimoresun.com

From the report, the young man left to roadway, and given his age of 19, I would suspect speed also, but seeing as he was driving his 57 yo mother and 67 yo uncle, I would look more at driver distraction as the cause.

 

[chernmax]

To be honest. most of the accidents on Rt in Calvert have not been speed related, but failure to yield. Meaning someone entered the main roadway and got broadsided. And I agree, you folks going 55-65, you only think folks are going 70-80 on a regular basis. Its very hard to judge how much faster than you another car is going, thats why police have radar.

I might hit 70 on occasion, but I and most folks I see are hitting 65 in the left lane, with folks in the right doing 55-60. As noted above, if your in the left lane doing 55, please move over when you can safely. Makes everyone lives easier. If I'm there doing 65, and someone approaches from the rear going faster, I move over. The only real way to reduce the fatals on Rt is is to either educate drivers about right of way, or redesign the highway. Focusing on speed is a false sense of security.

Two killed in Lothian crash: Police identify 3 victims in double-fatal Lothian crash - baltimoresun.com

From the report, the young man left to roadway, and given his age of 19, I would suspect speed also, but seeing as he was driving his 57 yo mother and 67 yo uncle, I would look more at driver distraction as the cause.

That sucks... R.I.P.

 

[Trinityfarm]

Okay folks...Understand your frustration with slow left lane drivers. I totally agree. The point of my message was about SPEED in general. I do know that the majority folks are going above the speed limit. I have called the police barracks and reported cruisers going above the speed limit without lights.

In addition, the lower pindell road intersection with Route 4 has been a fiasco ever since the new interchange with Route 260. I have witnessed many people from the left lane making last minute moves to get into the lane for Route 260. Not too smart on their part. Just go to the next turnaround if you miss the exit.

A few summers ago, a State police cruiser parked in my driveway with a speed gun and I was able to watch. All I am going to say is that it is enlightening.

When North Calvert County Route 4 was repaved about 5 years ago, I had to ask the state High Authority to install a breakdown lane so that I could get into my driveway without getting run over.

For those of us who have been in this county for a long time, the residents who live on Route 4 are paying the price. You can't begin to understand it until you watch kids get in and out of the bus with traffic rushing by hoping that people are paying attention. And don't even begin to tell me to move off Route 4! My farm is very few and far between in this county.

 

[Trinityfarm]

That sucks... R.I.P.

Because one minute you see nothing and the next someone is on your door. That is called speed. Also, there are many slight hills in Calvert County and the road dips. Speed is a factor and I don't care whether you are in the right or left lane. SLOW DOWN

 

[HeavyChevy75]

I don't know how you get in and out of your driveway with a trailer and not forget to breathe.

Do you still have your big guy or did he get sold?

 

[dn0121]

That respect needs to go both ways. If someone is the left lane holding up traffic and you see a line of people behind you wanting to get by....move over. Stay in the slow lane if you want to drive the speed limit. People aren't going to slow down.

I drive Rt 4 every day and I never have a problem in the right lane driving the speed limit....never.

There is a slow lane? I wasn't aware of that.

 

[chernmax]

Because one minute you see nothing and the next someone is on your door. That is called speed. Also, there are many slight hills in Calvert County and the road dips. Speed is a factor and I don't care whether you are in the right or left lane. SLOW DOWN

Common Sense is not so common...

 

[Trinityfarm]

I understand your left lane frustration but the speed limit is still 55. I agree that the left lane is for passing. As an example, if someone is turning right, you may need to get into the left lane to pass.

On route 4, The speed limit is 55 regardless and 45 in the town centers. How would you feel if your neighbors drove down your subdivision road going 20-30 MPH over the speedlimit. Welcome to the world of Direct Access Road Systems.

 

[glhs837]

As I said, though, speed isnt whats killing folks on Route 4. It's people pulling out in front of other people. If I'm going 65 instead of 55, thats not going to make a great difference in how bad the crash is when its a T-bone crash. And the reaction time difference isnt that great either. Get people to only pull out when they wont get hit, and your fatalitys will drop, its that simple.

 

[dn0121]

As I said, though, speed isnt whats killing folks on Route 4. It's people pulling out in front of other people. If I'm going 65 instead of 55, thats not going to make a great difference in how bad the crash is when its a T-bone crash. And the reaction time difference isnt that great either. Get people to only pull out when they wont get hit, and your fatalitys will drop, its that simple.

300 ft stopping distance difference between 65mph and 55 mph. That's enough to make a difference.

 

[twinoaks207]

For those of you who feel like putting your two cents in officially, please take the time to complete this survey by August 12th. Results are used to determine priorities and seek additional funding for traffic safety efforts.

A survey of highway safety issues

Takes about 10 minutes or so and includes questions about current enforcement efforts (seatbelts, drunk driving, youth drivers, teen alcohol, etc.). It's worth the time, although I would have liked to see more questions regarding speeding & aggressive driving than the few that were there.

So, if you're complaining about traffic, here is where you "put up or shut up"!

 

[glhs837]

I think you misread. the distance for the average vehicle to stop from that speed range is indeed in the 300 feet range, but there is not 300 feet difference between 55 and 65.

Ratio of Speed to Stopping Distance

Speed/Total Stopping Distance (includes average driver reaction time)

55 / 288

65 / 387


Looks like 100 feet difference. But we are not talking about how long from that speed to zero. The point is that if you pull out 50 feet in front of me, it really makes no difference if I'm going 55 or 65, I'm ploughing into you at a high rate. Now, these are very simplified calculations, and cannot account for the near infinte variables that we find in reality. Me, say I anticipate idiocy and I react fast, and have a world class braking system and big sticky tires. I might have dropped my speed to 20 before impact. Ol' Mr Johnson, in his 1980 F-350 with old worn brake pads, and tires than wear like iron, and grip that way too. He's driven this road fifty billions times, and just knows that nobody would ever pull out in fromt of him, why, he's doing the speed limit ferchrissakes. He's not going to react, most likely, but even if he does, hes not going to get a very good response from his vehicle. He'll still be going 50 when he hits.

Again, its pulling out in front of traffic that kills. If you dont do that, then it never matter if its me at 65, or Mr Johnson at 55, you live. If you do pull out, its a crap shoot. Me, I dont gamble.

 

[dn0121]

I see, I did mis read it. I had a bit higher values but the same range.

 

[Trinityfarm]

I still have Te and my mare

 

[Trinityfarm]

I participated in the survey