RV Breakdown? Get Away from that Highway

A nasty--and fatal--crash involving a motorhome in Iowa once again raise issues of safety for the RV set. Back on September 15, four folks were sitting in their Class C motorhome on the shoulder of Interstate 35 near Des Moines. Unknown to them, trouble was on the way in the form of an alcohol-affected driver and his Mitsubishi Galant.

The Galant was traveling at about 85 miles per hour when it slammed the Tioga motorhome. The force was so strong it turned the motorhome on its side and pushed across the freeway. Happily the four occupants of the motorhome were only injured; the car driver and two of his three passengers were killed.

The motorhome was parked off on the shoulder because of mechanical problems. It's not clear if the driver had engaged his hazard lights, and how much of a role alcohol played in the car driver's error--he was tested at a .08 rating, below Iowa's legally drunk-driving level.

Nevertheless, it does raise the old story: If you break down on the freeway (or anywhere else) try and get as far off to the side of the road as you can. Be sure to turn on your hazard flashers, and if you have them (and it's safe to put them out) do put out road flares. If you can limp to an exit, get off the road. You're a lot better off getting hit at exit ramp speeds than at full-tilt highway speeds.

We broke down on California's Interstate 10 one dark night when we lost all oil pressure. We limped off the shoulder as far as we could, put on hazards, and seeing that we were within inches of the fog line, got out of the rig and got as far away from the traffic as we could, clear to the interstate chain link perimeter fence. Happily, nobody clobbered us, but it was a scary night indeed.

For more details, catch the news story on line.

Photo courtesy KCCI News.