Sharing the road with big rigs

Re “ ‘There’s no escape route,’ ” Oct. 14

The story recounting truckers’ troubles with this particular stretch of Interstate 5, including “darkness, blind spots and curves,” misses the point. It’s about truckers’ speed and a disregard for anything else on the freeway. Try the 210 Freeway at any time other than rush hour and you will find the 18-wheelers bobbing, weaving and jockeying for position in the right three lanes at speeds well in excess of the 55-mph limit placed on trucks. Inside the Los Angeles city limits, big rigs should be restricted to 45 mph on the freeways, travel in the right lane only and not be allowed to pass anything traveling in the same direction. Speed should be reduced to 25 mph one mile ahead of all interchanges.

Jim Engle

Sierra Madre

Entering a tunnel in bright sunlight wearing sunglasses is a problem. Before your eyes adjust to the light, you are well into the tunnel. The problem increases with a curve within the tunnel: for example, the transition from the 105 Freeway west to the 405 Freeway south, and the tunnel at the junction of State Route 134 and the 210 Freeway. A vehicle breakdown inside these tunnels can be a major disaster. Maybe warnings about lighting changes and speed are needed during daylight hours at the entrance to these tunnels.

Wallace Kamahele

San Gabriel