Last night, at about 9:15 p.m., two cars collided head on about 6 miles east of Leon. You can read more about it at kansas.com.
Essentially, one car was passing two others going west when he met another car coming east.
I have thought for a long time that this highway is not correctly marked for safe passing between Beaumont and Leon. So, for people who do not drive this highway often, I think they can get lured in to making unsafe passes.
I drive this stretch of highway 3-4 times every week.
Can others comment on your opinion about this? Am I too conservative? Is it possible to campaign to the State to get this highway remarked?
Thanks,
David
No, I do not think you are.
I make it a point not to pass on this highway unless someone is going 55mph or less.
In fact, "everyone" goes over the 65mph speed limit anyway. I set my speed control to 65mph and cars usually back up behind me. I usually make my final run to Elk County about the time people are going home, so I guess they are in a hurry to get there.
But, it was a lot worse before they put the new pavement in.
I agree - I don't like the passing zone markings on that stretch of road.
I'm saddened, but not surprised by the accident.
I'm usually a conservative driver. I don't like to pass. Always thought it was a combination of my poor depth perception and the fact that the gas-saving cars of the past aren't known for their "oomph" for passing.
When I'm driving and Jim or the kids were with me, they'd tell me when it was safe to pass. Otherwise, I'd slow down, sit back and mosey along.
According to the Wichita Eagle, one of the drivers was not wearing a seat belt.
Check out what Missouri is doing with a similar stretch of highway between Camdenton (near lake of the Ozarks) and Lebanon (on I44).
http://www.modot.mo.gov/central/major_projects/documents/Cam-Lacledeshared4-lane.pdf (http://www.modot.mo.gov/central/major_projects/documents/Cam-Lacledeshared4-lane.pdf)
(Yes, it looks like it's upside down, just scroll down a little bit.)
Since it will be decades before they build the other two lanes of 400, maybe KDOT could use stretches of 400 as a test of the aforementioned idea in Kansas.
Charles
Here is a post I put on about a year ago related to US 400. I sent an Email to KDOT asking about this project but never received a reply.
The U.S. 400 right of way is [was?] intended as a forerunner for I-66 (No relation to route 66).
I-66 was originally intended to be a transcontinental roadway from Washington DC to California via Wichita.
The road west of Wichita has been canceled but is still alive, barely, from Virginia to Wichita.
I-66 is supposed to enter Missouri from Kentucky headed for Cape Girardeau and then head for a concurrent run with I-44 in Missouri.
At Joplin I-66 will leave along the US 400 corridor headed for Wichita.
I-66 currently terminates in Virginia but is planned to go to Kentucky. Nothing is going on in Virginia but Kentucky is actively working on their portion that will get the road to Missouri.
When the Howard population gets to around 500, residents might have an Interstate only twelve miles away.
I believe that accident was more like 3 or 4 miles east of Leon. As I drive it every day, I truely am not sure there is anything that will help the problem on 400. Most do drive 70mph or faster, unless the wind is blowing and you are pulling your 5th wheel and boat, then you might be running about 55 to 60mph. If you are from rural america and on yur way home from your monthly trip to the city, you probally driving between 45 and 50mph. Today when I came home from work I saw that the state was putting up a caution light for the school zone and it was posted 45mph.
The school zone is 20on the street in front of the school. They just have highway traffic slow down to 45 so you can look at the responsible 14 year olds that are pulling on US 400 highway. ;D
I presume we're talking about Leon, the most notorious speed trap east of Wichita!
This will make it easier on the Leon cops. The caution light will get some to slowdown, therfore less tickets written. However, tickets are double or triple in school zones, so they may actually bring more into the city coffers by writing fewer tickets. ::) :P
So is Leon 45 now, instead of 50?
Or is that just a school-zone marking? With new caution lights?
From good sources, you are much safer doing 35 through Leon and avoid a ticket! ;D
45 when light is flashing. I'm not real sure that the city of Leon has jursidiction on the highway anymore. I heard a rumor that the state was taking it back over and I haven't seen Leon's finest out there for quite awhile. You certainly didn't use to drive it 5 days a week and not see them in 3 weeks time.
Daughter and I are familiar with Highway 400 from Beaumont to Leon. I wondered why she drove it so cautiously until one day I found out. I was wondering when she was going to pass the car in front of us when suddenly, up out of a little dip, there came a car too close to even make an attempt to pass. I had seen no part of that car until it suddenly appeared. IMHO 400 between 99 and the four lane east of Augusta should be four lanes. And just so people east of 99 wouldn't feel left out, make it four lanes all the way to the Missouri border.
I agree that this stretch of road is not very well marked for passing/no-passing. In fact, very little of that area is marked for no-passing, when I think there should be a LOT more! This is a very high-traffic stretch of road and people don't use much caution when passing. The rumble strips in the middle of the road only help sleepy people from crossing over, and don't help those who do want to pass and don't use common sense.
There are the passing lanes in a couple areas, but I think they should put one between Beaumont and Leon and then make that section less of a free-for-all passing zone.
That stretch of 400 and the one between Severy and Fall River was not designed as good as it could have been if the designers had just cut off more of the little hill and filled in the the valleys a little the sight distance would have been greatly improved with very little additional cost to building the road. The designers did a better job in designing the highway 99 North of Howard. Of course these roads was originally designed under the old speed limit of 55 which calls for less of sight distance than the current 65 speed limit does.
Drove through Leon today - the 45-mph school markings and signs are now up. They're similar to what is here in Howard.
BUT . . .
they've extended the 50 mph zone west of Leon. Used to be as soon as you passed the school intersection, the speed went back up to 65 mph. Not true now. It's still 50 mph for another 1/4 mile, then it bumps up to 65 mph.
That's right, But you didn't see any city cops out there, did you?
No patrol of any kind. I was through there about 3:15 pm - didn't pay attention to the time, but got to Howard a little before 4 pm.
I went through Leon today at 12:30 p.m. on my way home. Leon city officer sitting at west end. I think they ARE still patrolling.
Maybe so. Maybe they have just been on vacation. ;D