Why are you not supposed to back up at American tollbooths?
At many tollbooths in the USA, I have noticed that there is a sign telling drivers not to back up. For example, see this tollbooth plaza on the Dulles Toll Road in Virginia ("CAUTION: DO NOT BACK UP / STAY IN VEHICLE"), or this one at the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, Baltimore, Maryland ("DO NOT BACK UP").
Why is it important for drivers not to back up out of a tollbooth?
- Is this a safety thing, and backing out of a tollbooth is particularly dangerous?
- Is this a legal thing? (e.g. perhaps cars are considered legally impounded upon reaching the tollbooth and the government requires payment to legally "release" the car, so backing up constitutes an attempt to evade a legal impound).
- Is this mostly a tradition or done for historical reasons?
- Is this done for some other reason?
Best Answer
Is this a safety thing, and backing out of a tollbooth is particularly dangerous?
Yes. Oncoming drivers may not notice that you are backing up, thereby judging their stopping distance incorrectly, increasing the chance that they will collide with you.
Is this a legal thing? (e.g. perhaps cars are considered legally impounded upon reaching the tollbooth and the government requires payment to legally "release" the car, so backing up constitutes an attempt to evade a legal impound).
Not as far as I am aware.
Is this mostly a tradition or done for historical reasons?
Safety measures are usually implemented for historical reasons. I suspect that before these signs were in use, people backing up at toll booths were identified as a cause of preventable vehicle collisions, but I do not know this for certain.
Is this done for some other reason?
Not as far as I am aware.
If you can't find your money or toll tag. Instead of sitting there blocking the toll lane searching under the seat for loose coins, you could back up and park on the side of the road and do it.
Another reason for backing up: you've entered the wrong lane and want to correct the problem by going to a different lane. Some lanes accept payment only with an RFID tag, for example. If you drive into that lane without one, what do you do? Many people would first think of backing out of the lane.
Pictures about "Why are you not supposed to back up at American tollbooths?"
What happens if you go through E-ZPass without it in VA?
All Express Lanes in Virginia require an E-ZPass. If you travel on Express Lanes without an E-ZPass you will receive a toll invoice or violation notice unless you go to that particular facility's website and make a missed toll payment within a certain number of days of the transaction before the invoice is issued.Why did Connecticut get rid of tolls?
Abolition of tolls While the 1983 Stratford accident was cited as the main reason for abolishing tolls in Connecticut, the underlying reason was that federal legislation at that time forbade states with toll roads from using federal funds for road projects.What happens if you miss a toll in Virginia?
If you took an unpaid trip on a Virginia toll facility you may be able to pay the toll through a \u201cmissed-a-toll\u201d process before receiving a toll invoice or violation notice, often at a lower cost. Use the map and form below to locate the road you traveled on and find out whether you can pay your missed toll.How do you pay toll roads in USA?
The most popular tolling system is E-ZPass, which is used in 15 states, but there are also local transponders. Most toll booths accept a variety of payment types. Quarters, cash, debit and credit cards should be readily accepted; however, do not expect to pull out your check book at a toll booth.Jimmy McGill (Saul Goodman) vs Mike Ehrmantraut - Stickers
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Klaudia Ekert, Tima Miroshnichenko, Sebastiaan Stam, Kamaji Ogino