Got a ticket.

[mpo]

It's because it dangerous as hell and people are stupid as fuck. They don't go well together.
<--- 22+ years working the highways

I'm another person who is an 'authorized user' of turnarounds on limited-access freeways. Of course, I need to be in a marked vehicle with a working amber light to be legal. A fake blueprint will get you a quick trip to the back of a scout car if you get stopped in my state.

The thing is, you really have no idea how much faster cars are going on a freeway compared to most other surface streets. Plus, you are typically going from a gravel surface, to a ratty shoulder with lots of gravel, dust, debris, and rumble strips straight onto the hammer lane.

Did I mention that cars on freeways are going a hell of a lot faster than you might expect. Geometrics, hills, mirages, and any other assortment of visual tricks put you at a great disadvantage when you enter the freeway in a non-standard way.

 

[Fingolfin269]

People who drive the "authorized vehicles" have obviously been trained using sophisticated simulators before ever attempting their first cross median freeway entry. The funds generated from your ticket are used to help keep that program alive.

 

[Aikouka]

I've seen people do that in the middle of traffic. Normally, I would be surprised and exclaim, "What the fuck!?", but I'm in Alabama; people do stupid shit while driving all the time. :|

 

[SKORPI0]

So, can someone tell me what the purpose of an ordinance surrounding "Driving on a highway divider" is? ORS 811.430
I can't imagine it's much of a revenue generator, so there must be a legitimate reason..

I can only think of it being useful in long stretches of the highway were an emergency vehicle/firetruck/police needs to exit to the other side since it's the shortest route to their destination (like a hospital/fire/gang shooting). Since most of this vehicles have those flashing emergency lights, vehicles from the opposite side are forewarned of their presence and expected to yield/go and use the right side of the lanes so they can pass safely and exit. Since private drivers are not "authorized" and could case a lot of harm, they get a ticket. Sounds stupid IMO, but it's for everyone's safety.

 

[Jeff7]

...
Did I mention that cars on freeways are going a hell of a lot faster than you might expect. Geometrics, hills, mirages, and any other assortment of visual tricks put you at a great disadvantage when you enter the freeway in a non-standard way.

And not just the cars - the big rigs, moving at 70mph+. The only thing a truck carrying a full trailer is going to do in a hurry is squish your vehicle like a small rat under a boot. Momentum doesn't care who's in the way.

 

[dawks]

I've seen jagoffs stop in normal through lanes (blocking traffic) to turn left (for a U-Turn) where a U-Turn isnt available (or safe). Incredibly dangerous and stupid. This is slightly similar.

I can see your point that in certain (probably most) cases its completely safe. I wish we could have some sort of graduated system where more intelligent/capable drivers get a different class of license and can drive differently (higher speed limits, fewer laws like these applicable to them etc)

 

[olds]

I remember about 20 years ago. My agency bought Crown Vics for the engineers and inspectors. The reasoning was that they needed the power to pull out of the freeway median at freeway speeds. It made the news.
I remember hearing about it on the radio as I was pulling out of the median in a loaded dump truck and trying not to die or kill anyone.

One thing I see everyday that amazes me and proves just how stupid people are:
Someone stopped on the shoulder or median for whatever reason needs to get back into traffic. The vast majority of them pull into the lane immediately and then try to get up to freeway speed. The way we do it is to use the paved portion of the median or shoulder to get up to speed and then get into the lane. But we always make sure that there isn't a car next to us as we do it as we don't want to freak the person out.

Idiots do it on the on ramps (acceleration ramps) all the time too. Merge into traffic at 35 MPH and then waddle on up to freeway speed.
Use the ramp to get to freeway speed then merge into the traffic going the same speed you are.

 

[Triumph]

I would do it, just like OP even after reading this, and i would pay the ticket too, but 260 bucks???? Jesus that is steep. Not even a 20 over speeding ticket would cost that much.

 

[Ben90]

Best argument I've heard yet.

Most of your examples are poor. I didn't do anything nearly as stupid or dangerous as turning left on a red light, driving on the sidewalk, or stopping in the middle of the highway(I pulled over to the shoulder). I made sure it was safe.

I run a red light nearly every day. It is one of those smart lights that is supposed to change when there is a car sitting there. Unfortunately it doesn't recognize my motorcycle. Instead of waiting 10 minutes for someone to come near it (I work nights), I stop, make sure it is safe and "run it".

While I completely agree with your situation, you cannot discredit his examples only to say, "Uturns on the highway should be legal because I made sure it was safe"

 

[BudAshes]

I did this in Canada and there was a cop 2 cars in front of me who didn't care at all. We were all stuck in traffic though and there was a ton of snow on the road so maybe it was just too much effort to chase me down, or maybe cops are just more laid back in Canada.

 

[Jeff7]

I run a red light nearly every day. It is one of those smart lights that is supposed to change when there is a car sitting there. Unfortunately it doesn't recognize my motorcycle. Instead of waiting 10 minutes for someone to come near it (I work nights), I stop, make sure it is safe and "run it".

While I completely agree with your situation, you cannot discredit his examples only to say, "Uturns on the highway should be legal because I made sure it was safe"

I've heard that putting a large ceramic magnet on the underside of the bike is supposed to produce enough of a magnetic signature to tell the loop detector that there's something there, but I've not been able to try this out myself yet. I actually should be getting a sample loop detector setup at work sometime next week though, and I've got some magnets to play around with, so we'll see what happens.

I've also seen some pickup trucks that are lifted so high up, and have such large wheels, that they don't reliably trigger the loops at some traffic lights.

 

[wischeez]

Don't have these out west?

 

[Ferzerp]

Don't have these out west?

When he said wrong way, I don't believe he meant against traffic, but wrong way in that it was not the direction he wished to go.

 

[Anubis]

Don't have these out west?

he wasn't going the wrong way on the highway he was going the wrong direction

East VS West

 

[dmcowen674]

So I pulled over, waited until the coast was relatively clear(I would estimate a good 2mi of visbility in both directions, I was on a little hill), and pulled a U-turn across the highway median(gravel).

$260 ticket. He said "Sorry" as he handed it to me.

That was cheap.

I got charged $500 for disturbing the gravel in Florida plus $166 for the fine.

 

[wischeez]

Ah, ok, I misunderstood. My bad...

So signs out west don't have east-west on them then?(i.e. east 80 or west 80)

 

[Sluggo]

Don't have these out west?

I don't think he was going against traffic, just going back West when he had intended to go East.

 

[SSSnail]

It's because it dangerous as hell and people are stupid as fuck. They don't go well together.
<--- 22+ years working the highways

Yeah... I think your definition of "working" is a bit loose...

 

[olds]

Yeah... I think your definition of "working" is a bit loose...

Problem highlighted.

 

[SSSnail]

Posted by:oldsmoboat: Problem highlighted.

You highlighted the wrong section. I blame senility.

 

[Ichinisan]

That was cheap.

I got charged $500 for disturbing the gravel in Florida plus $166 for the fine.

No one will believe you without proof. You know this, right?

 

[jagec]

Idiots do it on the on ramps (acceleration ramps) all the time too. Merge into traffic at 35 MPH and then waddle on up to freeway speed.
Use the ramp to get to freeway speed then merge into the traffic going the same speed you are.

Pennsylvania drivers trying to merge onto busy freeways will come to a COMPLETE STOP and wait for a break in traffic. It's insanely dangerous and should be an automatic reckless driving citation that CANNOT be forgiven by traffic school.

As for U-turns on the highway, I've done it. In the middle of the night, hadn't seen a car for a few minutes, no cars visible in either direction. I don't feel bad about that one. If there were cars around, I wouldn't do it...the worst crime that you can commit on a public road is unpredictability, and cars in the median are unpredictable to other drivers.

 

[Auric]

I would do it, just like OP even after reading this, and i would pay the ticket too, but 260 bucks???? Jesus that is steep. Not even a 20 over speeding ticket would cost that much.

Tisn't comparable wrecklessness-wise though.

 

[xanis]

Idiots do it on the on ramps (acceleration ramps) all the time too. Merge into traffic at 35 MPH and then waddle on up to freeway speed.
Use the ramp to get to freeway speed then merge into the traffic going the same speed you are.

I see this way too often, especially on the NJ Turnpike. Speed limit is 65, so traffic in the right lane is moving *at least* that fast, and people just trot down the onramp at 40-45. Ideally, it should be exactly as you said: Use the ramp to get up to highway speed, then merge.

 

[Triumph]

Pennsylvania drivers trying to merge onto busy freeways will come to a COMPLETE STOP and wait for a break in traffic. It's insanely dangerous and should be an automatic reckless driving citation that CANNOT be forgiven by traffic school.

I can think of many on-ramps in Pittsburgh where there is simply not enough space to get up to speed and get into traffic. The merge lane is simply too short.

Maryland drivers are the worst though. They do not understand left lane discipline.