This driver decided potentially destroying the front of his truck is worth less than a $25 fine.
Presumed SoCal resident and Redditor /u/Independent-Tax-914 shared dashcam footage from the 91 in Anaheim, CA to the /r/IdiotsInCars subreddit showing the hare brained moment a Chevrolet Silverado driver decided to run over lane dividers all to avoid less than $30 in total fines.
/u/Independent-Tax-914’s thread is linked here, with a copy of his video posted below.
The accident took place on the 91 (aka Riverside Freeway) in Anaheim (exact location on Google Maps linked here.)
Like a lot of highly trafficked freeways, the first few lanes of the 91 are HOV and toll lanes with dynamic pricing enforced by transponders.
But, unlike some Express Lanes where lane selection is only enforced by a set of double sold lines, the 91 takes it a step further with flexible lane dividers. Whether you planned to or not, once you’re in an Express Lane, you’re in, unless…
As the video shows, OP is driving in the left-most lane next to the Express Lanes. There’s no traffic so, at that time, there’s really no advantage to being in an Express Lane, anyway.
We see the driver in the Silverado sneak up to OP’s car, overtake, and right before the cameras hanging off the Express Lane signs can snap his plates, he darts in front of OP and demolishes more than half a dozen flexible lane dividers in the process.
Running over these bendable lane dividers is nothing new and has been done by trucks, SUVs, and anyone brave enough to risk damage since they were a thing.
Here’s one such case.
Time to merge
by u/Ellenwood1998 in IdiotsInCars
Then again, at highways speeds, you never know what kind of damage running over those at speed will cause.
A punctured radiator, broken headlight, and exterior scrapes, scratches, and dents come to mind.
According to the 91 Express Lanes website, a toll violation is $25 plus the amount of the toll. With the minimum toll being around $3 and the dashcam showing light traffic, the Silverado driver avoided about a $30 total fine?
“LOL. Avoid paying a fine but causing damage to your vehicle. Great planning on his part,” /u/Clay_2000lbs commented.
“Nah, that’s not an idiot. He knew exactly what he was doing. He’s a lunatic,” /u/apache-kafkaesque.
Whether he knew or not, all I’m saying is to plan your lane choices accordingly, so you don’t damage your own vehicle and make work for others.
Have you ever run over these flexible lane dividers not on purpose?
Let me know if your car was damaged in the comments below.
I was going to work one morning and there was a collision right in front of me in the HOV lanes. The only way to avoid it was to cross those flexible deviders into the outside lanes. I hit them doing about 70mph and those things beat the hell out of the front bumper, hood, broke a headlight, fog light and punctured my radiator. Total damages to the car were estimated at appox. $2,235.00 I only paid my $500 deductible and the insurance took care of the rest.
It happens all the time. Alot of the cars will pull out of the regular lane and pull infront of you to get into the fast track lane going eastbound on the 91 toward corona. You can’t avoid them if you are doing 65 and then pull right in front of you. Fast track lanes doesn’t help with traffic but only cause accidents. We pay for lanes already so why have fast track? 15 freeway now has the same problem with the fast track.