A Disturbing Trend At Exit 11 - And Response (7)

  • Wednesday, June 29, 2016

So, am I the first to notice a trend?  

How many wrecks does exit 11 need before anyone asks "whats up with that?" 

I have lost count of the wrecks that continue to happen, even after last year's awful loss of life (which I believe 51 percent of the blame should fall on the THP officer on duty). 

The problem with this section of interstate are sight lines and nothing to give a visual perception of speed as the road narrows. 

What seems like 10 lanes on a downhill quickly has two exit lanes then a narrowing to three lanes at an on-ramp while be hidden by the center divider wall on a curve. 

Long story- people don't know how fast they are going- and then the road just narrows to three lanes while cars are entering. Without warning. Its no one's fault except for poor design.  

This is the same TNDOT that plants trees directly in driver's line of sight. (look at the Lookout Mountain off ramp and I-75 and I-24 split). 

Todd Tyler 
Chattanooga

* * * 

I can't seem to grasp the logic of Mr. Tyler's comments about needing special markings at Exit 11 to determine how fast you are going.  Every vehicle is equipped with a speedometer that shows how fast your vehicle is traveling.  

If a person read, comprehended and acted upon the numbers on the speedometer, they know exactly how fast they are going.   

The driver needs to take personal responsibility on their actions when driving and not blame THP or TDOT.   

Not many people these days heed those numbers.  If law enforcement actually wrote tickets for these vehicles traveling too fast, everyone would be up in arms about the Gestapo Police and Black Booted Thugs that are money hungry.   

People can't have it both ways - either obey the posted speed or ask law enforcement to cite all those that are speeding.  If you go past the posted speed limit, you are negligent and should be punished accordingly.   

That would take care of some of the problems. 

Daniel Hague
Ooltewah (Exit 11)

* * *

TDOT can give you statistics on each and every location in our region where wrecks occur.  It's no secret. It takes deaths before actions are taken to resolve problems. The question is, when will someone sue the state of Tennessee for ignoring these trouble spots? 

Personally, I know by traveling I-75 for many years, excessive speed is almost always a factor. On any given day cars and trucks are traveling 80MPH. Force of impact is weight of vehicle times speed. Do the math. 

I am not sure why the THP officer can be blamed in last years deadly crash? A drugged and fatigued truck driver slams into cars at a standstill. There were warning signs and lights for a considerable distance before the crash site.  I guess I missed something? 

Teddy Ladd
Ooltewah 

* * *

Before Mr. Tyler and everyone blames Exit 11 for the latest accident and fatality, please notice it occurred well past Ooltewah between mile markers 13 and 14.  I happened to be in the area running an errand this morning but was not affected as I was moving against the grain so to speak.

What I did notice is the mess created by re-routing interstate traffic onto a road that requires passing through three intersections with traffic lights.  What should be apparent to TDOT or the THP is that police should be directing traffic through these intersections.  The lights were operating at their normal pattern of changing every 30 seconds or so, stopping the mass of vehicles over and over trying to get through Ooltewah.  

The next time they send I-75 traffic through there why not have Hamilton County or better yet Collegedale (they need something to do anyway) police directing traffic and sending the interstate travelers through two or three minutes at a time and asking the side street traffic wait a few minutes?  I dare say the four to five mile backup could have been cut in half or more with a bit of common sense and good policing.  

It's not like this was a big secret, why not get some officers out there to help? 

Jerry Hickey
Chattanooga 

* * * 

The real problem is excessive speed - the average speed is at least 20 mph over the posted speed limit.  If the THP and Chattanooga police departments would work these areas and control speed it would solve the problem. Chattanooga Police play follow the leader 5-6 police cars deep on Broad Street while cars are going 80-90 mph on the interstate in a 55 mph zone. Give $500 tickets to anybody going 15 mph over the speed limit, it is reckless driving. Cars routinely disregard the 45 mph work zone downtown going 60-70 mph while getting mad at people that obey the law and go the posted speed limit. 

The speed limit for semi-trucks is 55 within the city limits, they go 70-80 a few feet from the bumper of cars. Give a $500 ticket to trucks in the fast lane through the ridge cut, they are restricted to the right two lanes. Once trucks and cars reach the top of the ridge cut and the summit all hell breaks loose and the race begins. 

It is the responsibility of the THP and the Chattanooga Police departments to protect law abiding citizens from this obvious problem.  It is alright to break the speeding laws but drink two beers and you are going to jail. 

Chuck Davis
Lookout Mountain, Tenn. 

* * *

The posted maximum speed for big trucks is 55 mph everywhere in Hamilton County, and has been since early 2005. 

Not that it seems to mean anything to most truck drivers.  Sixty-five to 70 mph is routine for them, and some go well above that.  Once, just to verify my suspicions when I was trapped in front of an impatient trucker and couldn't pull over or change lanes, I ran my car up to 73 mph and still couldn't get out of his way; I gave up on that race and risked immediate death by angry speeding trucker.  Fifty-five mph truck drivers are rare, notable and gratifying exceptions. 

In the congested areas heading toward Missionary Ridge, truckers seem to figure they deserve to maintain their personal average speed in spite of the hill--so they really wind it up on the approach, knowing the Ridge will slow them down temporarily.  Then, of course, they make up all that lost speed on the downhill run off the Ridge. 

And though truckers are adamant that ordinary citizens shouldn't drive too close in front of them, they have no scruples about tailgating anybody who chooses to drive anywhere near the posted limit.  Calculate the kinetic energy of an 80,000 pound vehicle running 70 mph; imagine the damage it can do; remember the unforgettable accident at Ooltewah last year if you want a really graphic illustration.  A tailgating trucker should be charged with assault, aggravated assault, because the practice is definitely intimidating and always potentially deadly. 

When was the last time anybody saw a city, county, or state policeman pull over a truck for speeding?  Maybe there are jurisdictional issues there, but somebody ought to have the duty and the authority to protect us. 

But the only thing any of us ordinary folks can really do about the situation is to try to stay out of the trucks' way -- which is precisely what they want us to do, anyway.  Legality has nothing to do with it.  Their might makes them right, it seems. 

Larry Cloud
Chattanooga

* * *

I agree, the real problem is speeding. Six months ago I called and emailed every Chattanooga Police lieutenant with authority over the Interstate.  There are three lieutenants.  I also emailed Police Chief Fred Fletcher and told them the speeding on 1-75 was getting worse with trucks running in the restricted lanes. 

I even offered pictures of trucks in the restricted lanes with police cars either following the trucks or riding beside the trucks.  I asked how many trucks have been pulled over and ticketed for speeding, following too close or running in the restricted lane. 

I was told they could not give that information out and they had other things that were higher priority than speeding on I-75.  I have been running the Ooltewah to Chattanooga 1-75 Interstate daily for over 30 years and have never seen a truck pulled over.

Gary Kerr

Ooltewah/Apison

* * *

When people have an agenda the truth is irrelevant. Todd Tyler, the accident wasn't at exit 11. So the "disturbing trend" you note is a figment of your imagination. The accident happened miles from exit 11, more than three miles away as a matter of fact. The traffic just happened to back up to exit 11 because THP took its usual ridiculous amount of time to clear the roadway. Why they can't measure markings, photograph the scene and tow the vehicles in much less time is beyond me. It's as if they have no idea how many people are being impacted by sitting in traffic for hours and hours.

As far as speeding on I-75, it isn't really a safety hazard at all. Most of the people complaining about it are likely the dolts who ride under the speed limit while driving in the left lane. The number of accidents on the interstate isn't that great considering the volume of traffic. It's just that when there is an accident the traffic back up is horrendous, so everyone remembers it.

Barbara Jo Payne

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