Bath tub in the median
Sedona AZ (August 17, 2012) – Today was unusual. I happened to witness three separate incidents that could have resulted in a tragic accident and or death.
The first incident involved a fiberglass bath tub. It was in the median of Arizona Scenic Highway 89A. The details of how this tub happened to find its way to the middle of the road will remain a mystery but, for a minute, imagine this bath tub flying out of a vehicle into your path of travel.
Did you slam on your brakes and swerve? Did you miss the cyclist on the shoulder and the semi in the next lane? Did your windshield merely shatter? Did you hit it or miss it?
How effective are load cover laws? How often are they enforced?
brush on the highway
The second incident involved brush in a traffic lane in front of the Sedona Pines Resort on Scenic Highway 89A.
Can you imagine this large piece of brush flying out of a vehicle into your path of travel? In the dark and traveling at high speed, did you avoid it? In the daytime, did you run over it or did it brush up against your car scratching the paint?
Think about the brush in the road and ask yourself how effective are our load cover laws?
The third incident involved a gentleman changing a flat tire on Scenic Highway 89A. Was his position on the highway due to the high grass? Did he fear starting a grass fire or something else? So I asked him.
I asked if he wanted to move out of harms way. I asked if he needed help. To both questions he answered no. However, if pictures are worth a thousand words, then the other 999 might indicate a mowed shoulder would have given this man an option to move further away from the traffic. No one wants to drive into or step into high grass areas like those shown in the photo and encounter hidden snakes and or litter – litter that might cause personal and or car damage.
man changes tire too close to traffic
I hope the photos attached to this story will cause all travelers to question the need for, and the enforcement of, local “load cover” laws and appreciate the safety-need to mow our Arizona highway shoulders.
Look at the photos ADOT. You do see that those highway shoulders need mowing, right?
On August 18, 2012 join the Folksville USA litter clean-up by emailing folksvilleusa@gmail.com. We need your help to beautify the Verde Valley and keep our highways and byways clean and safe. Thank you for your concern and help.
Gary Chamberlain “Point Man” FVUSA FolksvilleUSA@gmail.com
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my car got sprayed with pig slop in colorado when the cover on the hauler in front of us came unflapped & the slop spilled over //// we had to pull in the next exit to a gas station and wash the windows front and sides //// side window was down & swear slop spattered inside /// i was (deleted) that wind shield turned gray or would’ve reported the damn trucker //// get laws passed to cover (deleted) trucks!
sedona : want to know ? some outfit can’t troll the roads and get junk off them, ? why trucks get to leave blown tires on road? & ? er # to report stuff on road?
covers on trucks ought to be mandatory
i enjoyed this and shared it with contacts, thank you for the information and agree with Merle’s comment
I read your article about the trash on the highways in today’s paper.
Yesterday afternoon my husband and I dceided to go to the Indian Casino off of the 202 & I-10…about a mile before the exit another vehicle decided to change lanes in front of us and suddenly hit the brakes and then swerved into the next lane…Low and behold there was a semi-truck tire on the highway which flew up and damaged our brand new Jeep which cause us over $3000.00 in damage.
It’s fortunate that my husband was driving and new how to keep our vehicle under control and this could have caused a very serious accident to ourselves or to others behind us…Yes, the tires are another problem and are cluttering up the highways just as much as the lazy and inconsiderate people that throw their trash out the window of their vehicle.
Now we have an unexpected expense and most likely won’t be traveling on the Freeways unless we absolutely have to. There is nothing that protects us from this incident or from this and costly hazard.
Respectfully,
Sharon A Elieff
(AZ West Valley Resident 25 yrs)
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2012/08/16/20120816arizona-highways-clean-up.html
Thank you Jennifer Dokes, Arizona Republic.
Gary Chamberlain
“Point Man” FVUSA
Sharon ….
Thanks for email and your effort!
I’m also sorry for your loss and truly believe that Arizonans suffer many losses due to trashy issues and ADOT’s failures. ADOT has trucks all over the place and it’s more common to see their drivers pass by these items without blinking an eye.
I’ve spoken with enough ADOT workers to know their canned speech regarding this issue ….. “It’s not my job, I’m in another department and I’m not authorized to pick this stuff up”. Go Figure.
I hope you and many others send your comments off to the news reporters and ADOT address shown below on a regular occasions – and let me know what I can do to help you and others get a message out … the more people that sound off the better our chances of making a change:
“John Halikowski”, “Matt Burdick” , “Donald Cassano”
Tell these people about your experience and get others to do the same. If you could push ADOT to mow the shoulders twice per year so all ADOT Adopt-A-Highway groups can safely and effectively clean their sections of highway that would be appreciated.
The Camp Verde Bugle and http://www.SedonaEYE.com News have recognized and been unwavering in their support for the 30 ADOT AAH Groups and the Folksville USA effort.
Thanks again.