Why don’t meters to enter 210 Freeway in Upland region work on weekends?

QJames Smith of Upland asked why the meters to enter the 210 Freeway in the Upland region are not on during the weekends. Smith is specifically referring to the area along the 210 northbound and southbound in and around La Verne, Upland, and Rancho Cucamonga.

AGenerally, meters at the entrance to a freeway are there to slow down, or regulate, the number of vehicles entering a freeway at one time during high traffic periods such as during rush hour, so there isn’t a crush of traffic entering all at once that will jam up the areas near on-ramps.

Caltrans spokeswoman Emily Leinen said the meters will come on depending on the traffic flow. “If traffic is heavy, the meters will come on to help control the flow of traffic, this way everyone isn’t getting on the freeway all at once, causing more congestion,” she explained.

During the weekend, she noted, traffic is usually much lighter than on weekdays, but the traffic meters will activate on weekends as well if traffic becomes heavy, she said.

QCarol DeMent of Menifee sought clarification about the tactics used by California Highway Patrol officers to stop and/or apprehend fleeing criminal suspects who are driving recklessly on the freeway and endangering other drivers while fleeing. DeMent said that deploying spike strips that puncture a suspect’s tires, which she believes can lead tires to “fly off” and land on another car or cause accidents on the freeway, seems like a dangerous tactic. She asked why CHP officers don’t use the PIT maneuver sooner to end a freeway chase as early as possible.

AWe discussed our reader’s concerns with CHP Officer Dan Olivos of the CHP Inland Division, as well as the use of spike strips and the

PIT (Pursuit Intervention Technique) maneuver during freeway pursuits. In general, a PIT maneuver may be used when officers determine the fleeing car isn’t causing an immediate hazard to others or isn’t driving at a high enough speed that it would increase the potential risk of an accident involving a bystander or the suspect.

When using the PIT maneuver, an officer will use their patrol car to lightly make contact with the fleeing car’s rear/side end and turn into the car slightly, so theoretically the fleeing car will spin or roll backward and its engine will cut out, forcing it to stop. This is a move that carries some risk and has to be used sparingly.

As for spike strips, Olivos said they generally don’t cause tire blowouts. They have hollow spikes, so when a tire hits one, it will slowly deflate, not explode in most cases, Olivos said. He noted that sometimes a suspect will keep driving after their tire was punctured and if they continue to drive long enough on the punctured tire, the tire’s tread will come off. “The biggest danger with spike strips is to the officer on the freeway who is laying it out,” said Olivos.

When it comes to how officers respond to reckless fleeing suspects on the freeway, Olivos said there’s no one answer that will fit every situation because no two pursuits are the same. Safety is the biggest factor when officers consider their options to stop a freeway chase.

“We do our best to keep everyone safe,” Olivos said. “Whatever we decide is the best, given the situation, is what we do. Sometimes we’ll just follow the vehicle until it runs out of gas. Safety is our number one priority. That’s going to be the determining factor.”

Olivos noted that the CHP often just lets fleeing suspects go — much more often than people realize. Officers will follow up on trying to locate the suspect vehicle later, using the license plate information and whatever other information they have.

Do you commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions about driving, freeways, toll roads or parking? If so, write or call On the Road and we’ll try to answer your questions. Please include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write ontheroad@pe.com or call 951-368-9670.