The Function of Emergency Sand Pits Near Toll Booths
Trailers, which are meant to carry heavy goods have to follow strict rules imposed by the authorities. On the highways, trailers have to travel on the inner lane.
Trailers being huge are considered being dangerous and should not be speeding on the highways. Overtaking other smaller vehicles is not encouraged as it is considered dangerous.
Should a trailer sustain a tyre puncture on the middle or outer lane o the busy highway, can you imagine the traffic jam it would cause.
Because of this, the authorities are frequently on the look out for trailer drivers who flout the law of not following the inner lane rule.
But many drivers and motorists do not really understand why the authorities impose such a ruling upon trailer drivers. When crossing a toll booth, in reality, it is the last toll booth collection that can accommodate a trailer going through.
It has no overhead obstruction bars above, thus facilitating a trailer easily going though collection points. So, therefore now you know why authorities insist trailers travel only on the inner lanes, especially on highways.
Before proceeding any further, first of all, know that trailers have a maximum speed limit of 80 km/j. Maximum speed for cars is 110 km/j on federal highways and 90 km/j along state roads.
Earlier in this article, mention has already been made with regards to the problem of the tyre punctures and mechanical problems a trailer might face on the highway.
Should a trailer inevidently face a problem such as tyre puncture, the best location for such a large vehicle to stop on the highway is actually the inner lanes of the highway.
Changing tyres will obviously take ample time. This would definitely incur massive jams. Not forgetting also the dangers it might cause to other motorists as well.
At night, the situation becomes even worse. Should there be no Plus Highway teams to assist the trailers over tyre punctures, the problem would be insurmountable.
But leaving aside problems faced by trailer drivers such as tyre punctures and mechanical problems, the main reason why trailer drivers should make it a point to travel only on the innermost lane is probably this.
Due to the country’s unusual terrain, where hills and mountainous terrain sometimes dominate, toll booths at times are built at the bottom of a descending hill.
The authorities have discovered, the long stretch of road leading towards a toll booth is just right to accommodate a large number of vehicles and traffic for the purpose of toll collection.
Herein lies the danger!
Trailers, going downhill towards a toll collection booth, sometimes do sustain brake failure, ending in dire consequences.
To date, fortunately, no unforeseen traffic accidents in such situations have yet to be reported.
I have full confidence of our trailer drivers in handing those huge trailers they drive. They know while approaching a toll booth, they have to decrease speed to 60 km/j.
But then, accidents can happen. Brake failure can take place.
The Public Works Department engineers have in fact built “special areas”, a few hundred meters on the left side of the highway adjoining the toll booth. This is known as the “sand pit”.
Made mostly of small stones, uneven gravel and rocks, this area allows the trailer driver, stricken with brake failure, to drive into such areas, which would hopefully assist the driver to slow down his speeding, runaway trailer and eventually bring it to a halt safely.
To all trailer drivers, some of whom may or may not realize the above “sand pit” exists in our country, it is no harm learning about it now. Better late than never, they say.
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