Discussion:
ONcoming or INcoming traffic?
(too old to reply)
marek
2006-09-28 22:00:42 UTC
Permalink
I'm not a driver, but the sentence below sounds a bit strange, could anyone
verify if it is correct? In the sense of "Is this the correct safety
procedure"?
The source says "Put the recovery vehicle between operators and oncoming
traffic, at least 30 m".
Is this correct or should it be "INcoming traffic"?
It's kind of important to get it right, I wouldn't want anyone killed due to
a (potential) misprint in the source text.

marek
Harlan Messinger
2006-09-28 22:12:06 UTC
Permalink
Post by marek
I'm not a driver, but the sentence below sounds a bit strange, could anyone
verify if it is correct? In the sense of "Is this the correct safety
procedure"?
The source says "Put the recovery vehicle between operators and oncoming
traffic, at least 30 m".
Is this correct or should it be "INcoming traffic"?
"Incoming" means "arriving". "Oncoming" means "moving in the opposite
direction from oneself".
Owain
2006-09-28 22:18:55 UTC
Permalink
Post by marek
I'm not a driver, but the sentence below sounds a bit strange, could anyone
verify if it is correct? In the sense of "Is this the correct safety
procedure"?
The source says "Put the recovery vehicle between operators and oncoming
traffic, at least 30 m".
Is this correct or should it be "INcoming traffic"?
It's kind of important to get it right, I wouldn't want anyone killed due to
a (potential) misprint in the source text.
It's oncoming.

A google for "oncoming traffic" .gov.uk. gives 22,500 hits including
near the top:

The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002
(b) may be erected on or near part of the road in advance of a crossing
place in relation to oncoming traffic. Cattle crossing signs and warning
lights ...
www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si2002/20023113.htm

As this one is an actual Statutory Instrument and appears in the correct
context it would seem to be a fairly authoritative precedent to follow.
See also the third example below, from the HSE.

The Highway Code
However, you may enter the box and wait when you want to turn right, and
are only stopped from doing so by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles
waiting to ...
www.highwaycode.gov.uk/16.htm

Wait until there is a safe gap in the oncoming traffic before completing
the turn. It may be safer to wait on the left until there is a safe gap
or to ...
www.highwaycode.gov.uk/03.htm

Crossing high-speed roads on foot during temporary traffic ...
can see and be seen by the oncoming traffic;
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cis53.pdf

A similar search for incoming traffic gives 500 hits, the most relevant
of which appear related to computer networks.

And I've just noticed Harlan has given a concise differentiation between
the two terms.

Owain
Edward Hennessey
2006-09-28 22:26:27 UTC
Permalink
Post by marek
I'm not a driver, but the sentence below sounds a bit strange,
could anyone
Post by marek
verify if it is correct? In the sense of "Is this the correct
safety
Post by marek
procedure"?
The source says "Put the recovery vehicle between operators and oncoming
traffic, at least 30 m".
Is this correct or should it be "INcoming traffic"?
It's kind of important to get it right, I wouldn't want anyone
killed due to
Post by marek
a (potential) misprint in the source text.
Marek:

Assuming the stranded vehicle is, as usually is the case, parked
on the road shoulder headed in the same direction as traffic
flow, the recovery or tow vehicle would park in front of it
headed the same way as the oncoming traffic.

When a car breaks
down on a freeway or road, the operators are advised to get in
front of it and any arriving tow vehicle so a potentially wayward
oncoming vehicle would first crash into that car or tow vehicle
instead of hitting the disembarked drivers exposed without the
protection of any vehicles behind them. The tow vehicle parked in
the direction of oncoming traffic in front of the disabled car
then backs up to engage the car and loads it and the operators in
for a journey to a service facility or impound lot whichever may
be appropriate. IOW, "oncoming" makes sense.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey
marek
2006-09-28 22:47:03 UTC
Permalink
Post by Edward Hennessey
Assuming the stranded vehicle is, as usually is the case, parked
on the road shoulder headed in the same direction as traffic
flow, the recovery or tow vehicle would park in front of it
headed the same way as the oncoming traffic.
When a car breaks
down on a freeway or road, the operators are advised to get in
front of it and any arriving tow vehicle so a potentially wayward
oncoming vehicle would first crash into that car or tow vehicle
instead of hitting the disembarked drivers exposed without the
protection of any vehicles behind them. The tow vehicle parked in
the direction of oncoming traffic in front of the disabled car
then backs up to engage the car and loads it and the operators in
for a journey to a service facility or impound lot whichever may
be appropriate. IOW, "oncoming" makes sense.
thank you, this is a very vivid explanation and indeed solves my
late-evening-to-early-morning dilemma. Only another one... hundred or so to
go ;)
btw, I appreciate the other two answers too, I do (ehm... do I? ... yes, I
do! ;) know the difference in meaning between both terms, I was just
struggling to see the logic behind this or that procedure from the safety
point of view, I somewhow assumed it'm more logical to park a recovery
vehicle behind the one that's broken down, as I thought it more vulnerable
from the, er... overtaking, i.e. incoming traffic, as it is relatively safe
from the oncoming traffic because it is parked on the shoulder.

Regards,

marek
Edward Hennessey
2006-09-29 00:36:54 UTC
Permalink
Post by marek
Post by Edward Hennessey
Assuming the stranded vehicle is, as usually is the case,
parked
Post by marek
Post by Edward Hennessey
on the road shoulder headed in the same direction as traffic
flow, the recovery or tow vehicle would park in front of it
headed the same way as the oncoming traffic.
When a car breaks
down on a freeway or road, the operators are advised to get
in
Post by marek
Post by Edward Hennessey
front of it and any arriving tow vehicle so a potentially
wayward
Post by marek
Post by Edward Hennessey
oncoming vehicle would first crash into that car or tow
vehicle
Post by marek
Post by Edward Hennessey
instead of hitting the disembarked drivers exposed without
the
Post by marek
Post by Edward Hennessey
protection of any vehicles behind them. The tow vehicle
parked in
Post by marek
Post by Edward Hennessey
the direction of oncoming traffic in front of the disabled
car
Post by marek
Post by Edward Hennessey
then backs up to engage the car and loads it and the
operators in
Post by marek
Post by Edward Hennessey
for a journey to a service facility or impound lot whichever
may
Post by marek
Post by Edward Hennessey
be appropriate. IOW, "oncoming" makes sense.
thank you, this is a very vivid explanation and indeed solves
my
Post by marek
late-evening-to-early-morning dilemma. Only another one...
hundred or so to
Post by marek
go ;)
btw, I appreciate the other two answers too, I do (ehm... do I? ... yes, I
do! ;) know the difference in meaning between both terms, I was just
struggling to see the logic behind this or that procedure from
the safety
Post by marek
point of view, I somewhow assumed it'm more logical to park a
recovery
Post by marek
vehicle behind the one that's broken down, as I thought it more vulnerable
from the, er... overtaking, i.e. incoming traffic, as it is
relatively safe
Post by marek
from the oncoming traffic because it is parked on the shoulder.
Regards,
Marek:

Good luck to you on the all nighter. You are welcome to any help
I can give you with questions.

According to a call I made after posting, and FYI, a friend in
the sheriff's department confirmed "oncoming' as the prevailing
usage in
reference to automobiles and said he really hadn't heard of
incoming and outgoing traffic as polarity except in identifying
plane traffic, though I can think of other areas where it applies
which are of no importance to your translation. "Outgoing"
automobile traffic would be the less frequently heard
opposite to "oncoming", simply indicating traffic moving away
from the observer or reference point.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey
marek
2006-09-29 10:01:54 UTC
Permalink
Post by Edward Hennessey
Good luck to you on the all nighter. You are welcome to any help
I can give you with questions.
Thank you, I've managed, just. yawn ;)
Post by Edward Hennessey
incoming and outgoing traffic as polarity except in identifying
plane traffic, though I can think of other areas where it applies
which are of no importance to your translation.
incoming... incoming missile. Eject, eject... yawn.

"Outgoing"
Post by Edward Hennessey
automobile traffic would be the less frequently heard
opposite to "oncoming", simply indicating traffic moving away
from the observer or reference point.
I lied, I'm still working on the job (Polishing touches, so to speak ;). Two
jobs in fact, double timing. Is it Friday today, oh, back to work...

marek
Edward Hennessey
2006-10-11 02:51:51 UTC
Permalink
Post by marek
I'm not a driver, but the sentence below sounds a bit strange,
could anyone
Post by marek
verify if it is correct? In the sense of "Is this the correct
safety
Post by marek
procedure"?
The source says "Put the recovery vehicle between operators and oncoming
traffic, at least 30 m".
Is this correct or should it be "INcoming traffic"?
It's kind of important to get it right, I wouldn't want anyone
killed due to
Post by marek
a (potential) misprint in the source text.
The overlap of incoming and oncoming left me thinking for an area
of
meaningful pragmatic differentiation. After considering various
applications of the two words, it seems that "incoming" has more
distinctive use as the preferable term in reference to something
that is more probably or definitely heading right at the observer
or referent in question.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey

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