Letter to the editor: Reader mulls PennDOT's dots

Among the weirdest things we've run across -- literally -- might be called the "Penn Dots." Several years ago, while heading north on Interstate 81 south of Carlisle one night, I momentarily swerved and hit the ...

[randy]

yes there are all over the state,4lane roads and 2 lane roads

[Andy]

I actually enjoyed this Letter, especially the Low Flying Aircraft sign.

It would be nice if the 2 dot minimum would actually have been followed though.

Or perhaps signs saying "left lane for passing and right lane for travel" on I-81. Anymore, the left lane seems to be the travel lane and the right lane is used for passing.

[what]

Well first of all the dots are farther apart than you realize. Also the fog area signs are posted before the fog areas. These are two main reasons you should not be driving ms politus. When you first noticed the white spots were you driving DUI? Aside from that I was taught to follow another vehicle by atleast 1 car length for every 10 mph I was traveling. Of course you problably could do the math for that one.

[Yep]

what wrote:

Well first of all the dots are farther apart than you realize. Also the fog area signs are posted before the fog areas. These are two main reasons you should not be driving ms politus. When you first noticed the white spots were you driving DUI? Aside from that I was taught to follow another vehicle by atleast 1 car length for every 10 mph I was traveling. Of course you problably could do the math for that one.

Doubt he could do the math.

[Andy]

what wrote:

Well first of all the dots are farther apart than you realize. Also the fog area signs are posted before the fog areas. These are two main reasons you should not be driving ms politus. When you first noticed the white spots were you driving DUI? Aside from that I was taught to follow another vehicle by atleast 1 car length for every 10 mph I was traveling. Of course you problably could do the math for that one.

What car length would that be? Is that a Focus Hatchback, or a Suburban? I just want to know so that I am able to do the proper math. I assume it wouldn't be a tractor trailer, but would the same forumla apply if I am driving a tractor trailer, or do they use a different formula because they seem to follow my bumper a lot closer than normal vehicles. Perhaps they use some square root quotient as well?

I am also curious: how far apart are the actual "dots." Since you seem to want to insult the lady and claim they are farther apart than she realizes, how far apart are they?

[words of wisdom]

This guy HAS to be one of those liberal tailgaters
with his phone glued to his ear, flashing his lights at any driver who attempts to abide by the purpose of the 'dots', then they always pull around you and cut into your 'safety zone' while
zooming up on the next impediment to their journey. Ever heard of 'aggressive driving'?

[Andy]

words of wisdom wrote:

This guy HAS to be one of those liberal tailgaters
with his phone glued to his ear, flashing his lights at any driver who attempts to abide by the purpose of the 'dots', then they always pull around you and cut into your 'safety zone' while
zooming up on the next impediment to their journey. Ever heard of 'aggressive driving'?

Out of curiosity: which "guy" HAS to be one of them?

I am also curious: are all tailgaters liberal? Are no tailgaters conservative?

[worldinspector]

Like the writer, I was also taught to drive about 2 average car length's behind the vehicle in front ... in 1964, when brakes weren't near as good as today.
To drive, as the dots suggest, 6 to 8 car lengths behind, seems both ridiculous ... and be honest, no one does it -- liberal, conservative, tailgater, aggressive driver, cell phone talker, grandma just moseyin' along -- NO ONE drives that far behind the car in front!
So as the writer asks, what's the point of the paint?

[Sam Becker]

They should paint inspirational quotes, letter by letter, on the highway. That way you'd leave enough room to read the quotes and you'd be inspired. Win-win, that's what it's all about.

[what]

Andy wrote:

<quoted text>
What car length would that be? Is that a Focus Hatchback, or a Suburban? I just want to know so that I am able to do the proper math. I assume it wouldn't be a tractor trailer, but would the same forumla apply if I am driving a tractor trailer, or do they use a different formula because they seem to follow my bumper a lot closer than normal vehicles. Perhaps they use some square root quotient as well?
I am also curious: how far apart are the actual "dots." Since you seem to want to insult the lady and claim they are farther apart than she realizes, how far apart are they?

It would be the car length of the one driving. If you think 5 or 6 car lengths are ridiculous try coming to a complete stop in that distance traveling at 70 mph or higher. You won't even get slowed down below 50 in 5 car lengths and that is of course after you have a second or two to react. Tractor trailers need a lot more distance to stop than a car.

[what]

Andy wrote:

<quoted text>
What car length would that be? Is that a Focus Hatchback, or a Suburban? I just want to know so that I am able to do the proper math. I assume it wouldn't be a tractor trailer, but would the same forumla apply if I am driving a tractor trailer, or do they use a different formula because they seem to follow my bumper a lot closer than normal vehicles. Perhaps they use some square root quotient as well?
I am also curious: how far apart are the actual "dots." Since you seem to want to insult the lady and claim they are farther apart than she realizes, how far apart are they?

In reply to the actual distance, the distance between the dots is one second going 65 MPH. That would be 95 1/3 feet apart. If you don't believe me go to penndot's web site and then do the math.

[what]

Andy wrote:

<quoted text>
What car length would that be? Is that a Focus Hatchback, or a Suburban? I just want to know so that I am able to do the proper math. I assume it wouldn't be a tractor trailer, but would the same forumla apply if I am driving a tractor trailer, or do they use a different formula because they seem to follow my bumper a lot closer than normal vehicles. Perhaps they use some square root quotient as well?
I am also curious: how far apart are the actual "dots." Since you seem to want to insult the lady and claim they are farther apart than she realizes, how far apart are they?

Here is the data in case you could not find it.
PENNDOT Tailgating Treatment (Safety Improvements), Pennsylvania
Aggressive driving and tailgating has dropped 60 percent in an area equipped with Pennsylvania DOT's "Dot" Tailgating Treatment. PENNDOT partnered with the police in a corridor on US 11 in South Centre Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania with high rates of aggressive driving collisions. The "Dot" Tailgating Treatment is an effective highway safety countermeasure for assisting motorists to establish a safe following distance. PENNDOT provided "dot" pavement markings and signs warning drivers to avoid tailgating and leave two "dots" or two seconds between themselves and the driver ahead of them.

[Andy]

what wrote:

<quoted text>
It would be the car length of the one driving. If you think 5 or 6 car lengths are ridiculous try coming to a complete stop in that distance traveling at 70 mph or higher. You won't even get slowed down below 50 in 5 car lengths and that is of course after you have a second or two to react. Tractor trailers need a lot more distance to stop than a car.

I realize this. It was sarcasm on my post, trying to point out the ridiculousness of your post and the insults of your original post.

I am not sure if it was simply missed by you, or perhaps just not well written on my part but the braking ratings of all cars shows how many ft. it would take to come to a complete stop at highway speeds.

[Andy]

what wrote:

<quoted text>
In reply to the actual distance, the distance between the dots is one second going 65 MPH. That would be 95 1/3 feet apart. If you don't believe me go to penndot's web site and then do the math.

What: I really didn't care all that much about the distance, I was simply being sarcastic due to the nature of your original post and the blatant insults provided in it.

For what its worth: 95 1/3 feet is actually closer than I would have realized between each dot. I would have estimated them to be at least in the range of 300+ feet so in reality, they are actually a lot closer than I would have imagined.

[fatboy]

An better alternative to the car length rule is the four second rule. When the car in front passes a certain point count four seconds. If you get there before you get to four, you're too close. This works for any speed because the higher the speed the longer the distance.

Another sign I find amusing is 'Falling Rock Zone'

[Tess]

Dots on the highway are ignored by the majority of "lemming" drivers in a hurry. They're of little aid to the number of DUIs I read about in this newspaper. The intoxicated simpletons in a haze are not capable of dealing with the distance between dots and rate of speed calculus.

[worldinspector]

WOW! Such Detail!!! PennDOT websites, 95 1/3 feet, conservatives, liberals, so many feet per mph, inspirational quote painting, calculus, 4-second rule (I always thought that was about dropping food on the floor ... no, wait ... that's the 5-second rule!).
Good heavens! I've been driving around 50,000 miles a year for almost 44 years, never thought about such stuff, and it was never a problem!
So I still think the dots are a waste of paint.

[cowboy-up]

Have you ever seen the 'falling cow' sign. It is one of those picture signs.

[cowboy-up]

I have to take calculus to trans,ate these posts now?

[i smell conspiracy]

this is something for penndot to have all their lazy overpaid, underworked crews do when the tar chip machines are down. I was out today near Caledonia. It was shocking the amount of money invested in salaries so the dozen or so workers could stand there and look occupied. PA is so bloated from the top in Harrisburg down to the people leaning on shovels. THe more I think about government, the more nauseous I get.