I got a bit more than I had in mind when I said I wanted to get my freeway driving confidence back! Between human behavior, construction zones and wild weather I got to practice lots of driving skills and realize that, while the vigilance required is tiring, those are well learned habits that kick back in.
I did confirm though that driving at night on freeways is no longer a good idea if it can be avoided as driving at dusk on a relatively unbusy freeway was challenging enough. I’ll also be checking forecasts for driving conditions for any future trips!
Other drivers - Besides the usual speeding lane changers and tailgaters including semis, there was the accident blocking 2 1/2 lanes right in front of me as the freeway split into 4 different routes so lots of lane changers. Then there was the semi driver who almost side swiped me by weaving into my lane. I simply had to be patient to get around the accident and kept my hand on the horn when passing semis from then on.
Construction - The biggest challenge was not the construction zones themselves but rather freeway sections with no lane lines or temporary ones that zig zagged for miles when there were five lanes. Fortunately the other drivers managed well too.
Weather - This was an entirely new experience! For about half an hour the wind was blowing so hard that the freeway was in the midst of a dust and sand storm. Fortunately the times when the road was not visible were very brief. The steady wind reduced but high wind gusts persisted for over 2 more hours until I went over the hills and back into the coastal plain.
BTW, these type of winds are part of wildfire season in California and are called Diablo winds in the north and Santa Ana winds in the south. I’ve just never been on the freeway when they included such sight reducing dusts/sand storms nor have I had to drive that far in them. They produce conditions that make any fire spread rapidly and out of control so thankfully there were no fires yesterday.
Defensive driving skills definitely intact!
It sounds like you did really well driving. I tell you, it's other people mostly that are crazy drivers. Going to fast, weaving in and out etc. The semis are always something to watch out for. I'm glad it went well though.
ReplyDeleteI agree except the blackout from the dust storm was definitely a new challenge and pretty freaky. I’ve driven in rain so hard that you can’t see but not dust.
DeleteGlad it all came back, and that you had a successful trip! Semis have so many blind spots, that the honking when passing might be an idea I keep in mind. They also are so heavy that they can't slow quickly, so I am leery of them.
ReplyDeleteExcept for just a few of the very many semis on the road they all were careful drivers. That one gave a large adrenaline rush though!
DeleteHave mercy!! That sounds like more than you bargained for. We had rain yesterday and this girl no longer drives in rain. We have so very little of it that everyone in El Paso just gets crazy when we have 2 drops of rain on the road. And our wind can be super scary, too.
ReplyDeleteI get very nervous when the lane lines aren't visible or aren't there at all. In Mexico, just across the border from El Paso, they drive like there are no lanes and it is disasterous. Glad you made it home safe and sound.
lol - it was more than I had imagined and at both ends of the trip but it rebuilt my confidence. Heavy traffic freeways with lots of ramps and connections to other freeways still not what I want to face if there is an alternativeš³
DeleteSo glad that everything came back. I hate semi trucks on the road and try not to have to pass them unless there is a passing lane. Here there are not too many double lane highways.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.