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Originally Posted by Stingray2004
Well, I grew up and have lived in Tsawwassen a good chunk of my life and still have my old bedroom extant there. During that entire time the only other truck rollover(s) that I recall, with my relatively sharp memory, was along the old Hwy 17 SB exit from Hwy 99.
Great curvature for a vehicle with a lower centre of gravity... but not nearly so much with the higher centre of gravity of major trucks - improper super-elevation (banking) on that exit for 80 km/hr+ in a big rig. And only ONCE in my lifetime do I recollect a flipped rig on that exit.
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There was one on the HWY17A/HWY99 exit just 2 weeks or so ago actually. I got off the SFPR headed into work and it had just happened. Went over the overpass southbound and on the right the truck was completely on its side trailer and all with fire trucks all over the place.
And about 6 months ago there was a roll over truck on the HWY91/HWY99 exit. So it happens more than you recollect.
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Just one month into the opening of the SFPR or NEW Hwy 17 west of Hwy 99 and we see this happen. Believe me, many more similar events will occur just during 2014 alone as that old Hwy 17 exit has much better geometry/curvature than most new tight curves/exits along the NEW Hwy 17. I basically posted same here on opening day that this section of highway will def be accident-prone - due to major traffic volumes, port trucks, numerous tight curves, and the major variation in driver speeds thereto along the alignment.
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I do think it is going to happen a bit more on the SFPR because of the curves and trucks driving too fast. I have observed the driving speeds on the highway and all traffic is clipping along at about 90-95km/h I think for cars that it perfectly fine because they don't flip so easily and the curves aren't that bad if you're a good driver.
But 80kph is perfectly reasonable a limit for the trucks driving the road. But many too are doing 95kph and they get behind someone in the right lane doing the actual speed limit so over to the left lane to pass and hit a curve and the above is what happens. There are so many trucks in the left lane it is unbelievable on SFPR.
So ultimately I do still think the design speed should have been quite a bit higher with less curves (or even banked curves which they could have done), but even if it was designed for 100kph you'd still have roll overs. As has been mentioned, most roll overs are improperly done loads, then secondary cause is the driver's actions.
SFPR is much higher risk that other highways because our other highways are far straighter. HWY99 for example has basically 2 slight curves between the tunnel and HWY91. In that same span on the SFPR you have something like 17 curves. Each curve = a risk. The more curves you have, the more risk you have.
I am actually surprised given this is meant to be a "Truck Highway" that they have built it quite truck unfriendly with intersections and a lot of curves. But it is what it is and drivers are going to have to get used to it.
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Personally, I am not used to driving 80 km/hr in the left-lane along "Hwy 17" following other drivers doing same - and then even slowing down along the several curves. Very frustrating and therein lies another major accident-prone matter.
Avg. driver speeds along the existing Hwy 17A have regularly been 110 - 120 km/hr in the left-lane over the past couple of decades in my personal experience.
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Yup. Old 17A everyone does 100kph. I would always do 90kph because I've seen Delta Police park at the overpass a lot for years, but when I did that speed I felt like I was poking along in a horse drawn buggy.
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PS. Hell, I travel from White Rock to Tsawwassen and from Tsawwassen to Vancouver quite a bit. I now avoid the new SFPR from Hwy 99 like a plague. Still much quicker time-wise for me to take the Hwy 99 exit to the old Hwy 17 even with the light at Ladner Trunk Rd.
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It probably would be.
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