Gore points

[snopes]

Comment: During a defensive driving course, we were told that the "Gore
Area" of a roadway, is named after a police officer (Gore) that was struck
and killed while in one of these "Gore Areas" of a freeway. I asked a
friend that is a police officer, an he also confirmed this story. I have
always understood that a "Gore Area" is a description of a triangular area
that connects other shapes, roads, etc.

Any truth to the police officer legend?

[DemonWolf]

I can't speak for the OP, but I heard a lot of ULs from my driving instructor as part of the class, especially the "Gang member initiation" one.

There really should be a better method of accrediting these classes.

[snopes]

There really should be a better method of accrediting these classes.

Why? The whole point of the "traffic school" concept is to make violators more compliant about paying their fines, not to ensure they actually learn anything about driving safely.

[GenYus234]

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: During a defensive driving course, we were told that the "Gore Area" of a roadway, is named after a police officer (Gore) that was struck and killed while in one of these "Gore Areas" of a freeway.

Actually, it is named after Al Gore, who invented the freeway.

I have always understood that a "Gore Area" is a description of a triangular area that connects other shapes, roads, etc.

Correct. For example, in sewing, it is a triangular piece of fabric that can be used to fill in a shape.

[Tootsie Plunkette]

Yes, to the dressmaking term.

And Wikipedia agrees, FWIW.

A gore, gore point, or gore zone is a triangular piece of land found where roads merge or split. When two roads merge, the area is sometimes referred to as a merge nose. The term "gore" probably originates from the dressmaker's term for a triangular piece of cloth.

I'd never heard of the term "merge nose" and will now try to work it into conversations.

[DemonWolf]

Originally Posted by snopes

Why? The whole point of the "traffic school" concept is to make violators more compliant about paying their fines, not to ensure they actually learn anything about driving safely.

huh? I was talking about the classes that some people take prior to getting their license. I took it because it gave me a discount on my car insurance and allowed me to get my license a little earlier (I forget how much now).

[Pudding Crawl]

The misattribution of the name reminds me of the urban lengends/folklore about Gore Orphanage. Same sort of thing going on: jargon, unexceptional true meaning, word with slightly unpleasant connotations- bam! Instant story.
Maybe in years to come the meaning will have shifted from the deceased policeman having been named Gore, to him having a particularly gruesome death.

[Troberg]

I think the formal name for those areas is "gash", at least that's the one I've seen used in English highway design litterature.

[Debunker]

The traffic reporters here in SoCal use the term "gore point" as in, "stalled car in the gore point at the xyz exit."

If you miss the exit and hit that stalled car things could get messy. Then it'd really be a "gore" point.

[GenYus234]

From Pudding Crawl's link:

Swift Mansion was originally a mansion built in 1840 by Johnathan Swift. ... The owner, "Old Man Swift", was widely known for his terrible demeanor and cruel treatment of the children. He was rumored to have killed many of them before putting their remains into the fireplace.

I hear her prefered Irish children as they were particularly tender.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by Troberg

I think the formal name for those areas is "gash", at least that's the one I've seen used in English highway design litterature.

English in language, or English in nationality?

[Dark Blue]

I think the formal name for those areas is "gash"

Arizona refers to it as "gore area" although we often refer to it a a gore point.

ARS 28-644.A.2 has the definition
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/FormatD...28&DocType=ARS

As to why it's called that I don't know. I've heard it was because it's easy to have a bad "gory" accident if you are stopped in that area but I doubted that was why it is called that.

I think the reference that Tootsie posted is much more likely the reason.

[RichardM]

Gore (as per AASHTO "green book"):
Gore is an area downstream from the intersecting point of the shoulders of a
highway and a separating exit ramp. There are many elements related to the
gore (physical nose, painted nose, neutral area) that would be difficult to
describe without an exhibit (Exhibit 10-59). It relates to the decision point
area that should clearly seen and understood by approaching drivers.


Note that this is copied from a similar question on another forum. At this time, I can't find the AASHTO document on line.

[damian]

Originally Posted by GenYus234

Actually, it is named after Al Gore, who invented the freeway.

Very close. According to my Information, Al Gore invented the Super Highway.

[Troberg]

Originally Posted by Lainie

English in language, or English in nationality?

I'm not sure, as I don't have the books at hand, but I'm pretty sure it's language, as most litterature on the subject is from the USA and from Sweden (we may be a backwards country on the brink of dictatorship, but we are world leaders when it comes to road design).

[LizardWizard]

I have seen early 19th century references to a gore as a unsurveyed or unclaimed strip of land. Often the gore was named after a nearby village, such as Coventry Gore or Tunbridge Gore.

Gore has lots of meanings, but they all derive from the Old English 'Gar' or spear. Thus to be poked with a spear or other pointy object is to be gored (and the results gory). And a pointy triangular (spear shaped) piece of land, leather or cloth is a gore.

You also find it in the name for a fish that has a pointed spear-like head - gar fish.

I'm quite sure it has nothing to do with an American cop called Gore, killed by a vehicle on a freeway gore point, since the words predate automobiles and freeways by centuries.