Overhead Sign Blowing Around on Calgary Freeway

[dmuzika]

There was a severe thunderstorm that went through Calgary, someone caught this footage of an overhead sign bouncing around in the wind (gusts at 100 km/h / 60 mph).

Notice how one of the signs falls at the end of the video.

[Stephane Dumas]

The "dancing sign" was on AB-2(Deerfoot Trail) in Calgary.
http://jalopnik.com/5935065/watch-a-canadian-highway-sign-bend-like-crazy-in-the-wind?comment=51890193

[agentsteel53]

The "dancing sign" was on AB-2(Deerfoot Trail) in Calgary.
http://jalopnik.com/5935065/watch-a-canadian-highway-sign-bend-like-crazy-in-the-wind?comment=51890193

glad nobody was hurt.  "impaled by a Clearview sign" would be the shittiest thing to have written on one's gravestone, ever.

[vdeane]

I especially like how drivers are hitting their brakes right as they see it, because who the hell wants to drive under that? Actually, that prudence is warranted, as at the end of the video, half the sign plummets to the ground.

While you do get more reaction time at slower speeds, you also increase the time you're in the danger zone.  The driver filming this wouldn't have been near the falling sign if traffic moved faster through there.  Seems to me the safest thing to do here would be to move to the outer lanes and put the petal to the metal.  Going slowly to increase your reaction time does not help you if there's nowhere to maneuver to, as in this situation.

[dmuzika]

^^^
True enough, and easy to say in retrospect, but that's not necessarily true.  For example, what if it was the larger "Deerfoot Trail"  sign that fell instead of "32 Ave" ?  Also, it's possible that the sign might have fallen sooner than it did, allowing the driver to slam on the brakes.

Either way, it would still be crazy to see that while driving on a freeway!

[rickmastfan67]

That is unreal!  I've never seen a gantry do that before!!

(BTW dmuzika, I fixed the link above so it would embed here in the forums properly. )

[NE2]

Ouch... beaten by Dumas. https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=7491.0
Never mind - this one was first.

[rickmastfan67]

Ouch... beaten by Dumas. https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=7491.0
Never mind - this one was first.

And now both are merged. lol.

[Brandon]

The "dancing sign" was on AB-2(Deerfoot Trail) in Calgary.
http://jalopnik.com/5935065/watch-a-canadian-highway-sign-bend-like-crazy-in-the-wind?comment=51890193

glad nobody was hurt.  "impaled by a Clearview sign" would be the shittiest thing to have written on one's gravestone, ever.

Agreed.  Just so long as the tombstone isn't written in Clearview. 

I'm not so sure I'd have continued going under the gantry once I saw it dancing like that in the wind.

[dmuzika]

Reminds me of the old videos of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse.  This has hasn't been seen in Calgary before, and we get high winds a fair bit with the Chinooks.

[Scott5114]

Monotube gantries suck.

[vdeane]

^^^
True enough, and easy to say in retrospect, but that's not necessarily true.  For example, what if it was the larger "Deerfoot Trail"  sign that fell instead of "32 Ave" ?  Also, it's possible that the sign might have fallen sooner than it did, allowing the driver to slam on the brakes.

Either way, it would still be crazy to see that while driving on a freeway!

Better to have the side door grazed by the big sign in the left lane than to be in the center lanes and have it crash through the roof.  Plus the longer wait = greater likelihood of it falling on top of you.

[deathtopumpkins]

Is it just me or does that monotube gantry look WAY too thin for the sign it's holding? It looks more like a lighter-duty signal mast arm or something. Doesn't look nearly as thick and substantial as the monotube gantries used here in Mass.