Proper Use Of Triangles

Too many times I have passed trucks on the side of the road, where the drivers have placed their reflective triangles 10ft, 20ft, and approx. 30ft behind their trailer; most recently the driver was putting his 3rd triangle out about 30ft behind his trailer, with his back to traffic as he was unfolding the triangle. Please, if you have to put the triangles out, place them at 10ft, 100ft, and 200ft intervals (on a divided highway) behind your trailer, and always keep them between you and the traffic until you've set them on the ground. It's safer for you and for the motorists.

Yeah I would say 90% of the time I see something wrong with the placement of triangles... everything from # of them, distance apart, sometimes they're in a straight line, sometimes they are angled towards truck n trailer as opposed to away (by angled I mean if you were looking at them from above the line of triangles most of the time s going towards truck when it should be going towards road). heck sometimes there's not even any put out at all!

it seems a great many drivers don't know proper triangle placement.

Yeah I would say 90% of the time I see something wrong with the placement of triangles... everything from # of them, distance apart, sometimes they're in a straight line, sometimes they are angled towards truck n trailer as opposed to away (by angled I mean if you were looking at them from above the line of triangles most of the time s going towards truck when it should be going towards road). heck sometimes there's not even any put out at all!

it seems a great many drivers don't know proper triangle placement.

I'm actually happy when an attempt is made to use them. Far too many times, there are none.

I'm actually happy when an attempt is made to use them. Far too many times, there are none.

That's what I was thinking. Back in April I saw a car plow into the back of a tractor trailer parked on the shoulder, now it bothers me whenever I see someone stopped on the shoulder at all. And of course I see it like 10 times a day. Twice just today cars cut in front of me from the left lane to get to the shoulder.

I like those foldable pop-up bright pink diamond signs that look like construction warning signs and say something like "Warning, disabled vehicle ahead". I guess some tow trucks and such use them.

I agree with G-Town. Any attempt at using them is better than not using them at all. It is one of those rules that is not taught or remembered very well and should be. The way most people are in such a hurry with "no where to go" as the saying goes even placing them correctly seems to be of little value.

I agree with G-Town. Any attempt at using them is better than not using them at all. It is one of those rules that is not taught or remembered very well and should be. The way most people are in such a hurry with "no where to go" as the saying goes even placing them correctly seems to be of little value.

Interesting... my dad has a saying about incredibly slow (which he is!) and indecisive drivers: "nowhere to go and all day to get there."

All good points; yes, it's good to see them used at all, but I figure, as long as we're going to put them out, let's go ahead and put them out right. I saw the triangles mentioned on another thread, and just thought I could draw attention to the fact that they can be more effective if used properly.