Ever witnessed the instigation of a traffic break?

[DMark]

Saw them in California a few times, although was never sure why they were doing it (no big accident or anything, just slowed down the rest of the traffic).

I did, however, see one here in Nevada, coming from the opposite direction. First, I saw no cars whatsoever coming in the opposite direction, then I saw why - a dog was happily lopping down the freeway and a cop car was slowing down traffic and trying to get the dog to go down an off ramp.

But now that you are all mentioning it, I don’t believe I ever saw one in Illinois, NY or Berlin…just in LA and now here in Nevada…maybe the trend is making its way slowly East - along with that dog?

[Rick]

@DMark

Saw them in California a few times, although was never sure why they were doing it (no big accident or anything, just slowed down the rest of the traffic).

I did, however, see one here in Nevada, coming from the opposite direction. First, I saw no cars whatsoever coming in the opposite direction, then I saw why - a dog was happily lopping down the freeway and a cop car was slowing down traffic and trying to get the dog to go down an off ramp.

But now that you are all mentioning it, I don’t believe I ever saw one in Illinois, NY or Berlin…just in LA and now here in Nevada…maybe the trend is making its way slowly East - along with that dog?

Yup, the dog is the messenger.
His name is Johnny traffic break seed

[Cat_Whisperer]

@Campion

<snip> Incidentally, I’d also heard it called a “round robin,” although not for many years (since driver’s ed, I think).

Yeah, I’ve heard it called a “round robin,” too - in the Wikipedia link that is in the first post in both pages of this thread.

My husband says they do traffic breaks all the time in Calgary; I have never heard of it or experienced it, but I make a point of not driving in rush-hour traffic.

[Johnny_L.A]

I haven’t read the thread, but I’ve witnessed and have been involved in several traffic breaks on L.A. freeways. One was initiated for me after the chain broke on my motorcycle and I was at the center divider. (The Metro tow truck was not a flatbed, so they broke traffic so that I could push my bike across the 405.)

[Campion]

@featherlou

Yeah, I’ve heard it called a “round robin,” too - in the Wikipedia link that is in the first post in both pages of this thread.

Take note, all: this may be the first time I’ve agreed with wikipedia.

[alice_in_wonderland]

@featherlou

My husband says they do traffic breaks all the time in Calgary; I have never heard of it or experienced it, but I make a point of not driving in rush-hour traffic.

I drive during rush hour all the time and have never seen one of these in 20 years. Good thing I read this thread, or I probably would have thought the officer was drunk on the job. God knows it wouldn’t be the first time THAT had happened…

[Cat_Whisperer]

Yeah, I’m not sure Jim is thinking of a traffic break exactly the way we’ve been discussing it here. When (not if, of course) some fool cracks up on Deerfoot, the police do have to slow down/stop/re-direct traffic, but I’m not sure they do it by driving in front of the traffic, weaving across all lanes.

[cherry]

I’ve been in/seen them 3 times so far in San Diego in a years time. I’ve never seen them driving in Toronto on the highway and I drove on the highway everyday for 15 years over there. When I first saw it I didn’t know what it was for except that we had to slow down and stay behind. After reading the wiki article I now have an idea of why we are slowing down.