Looking at Traffic Accidents

[chisag]

... I think anyone slowing down or even worse, stopping to look at a traffic accident should have their license suspended for a month and forced do daily community service for those 30 days. I had a 4.5 hour drive turn into 6.5 hours because of 3 accidents. 3!?! The guy in front of me actually stopped and took a picture out his passenger window at the first one, I did not see what it was because I never look. The last thing I want to see is someone else's pain or even worse, dead or mangled bodies and most egregious an injured child, as well as bringing traffic to a standstill. So I mind my own business of driving safely and keeping my eyes on the road. It seems like common sense but then again I never text and drive either so common sense seems to be in short supply on the road these days. 

Edited October 26, 2019 by chisag

[Charli]

I live in jersey. People stop take a selfie maybe post to Instagram. It’s bad and kind of makes you think why do people love seeing carnage so much. I remember when I got into my accident years ago. Busted up my head pretty good. Everyone driving bye just stared as blood was pouring down my face. Like helllllllo can I get a towel? Napkin? Something 

[revkev]

... I think anyone slowing down or even worse, stopping to look at a traffic accident should have their license suspended for a month and forced do daily community service for those 30 days. I had a 4.5 hour drive turn into 6.5 hours because of 3 accidents. 3!?! The guy in front of me actually stopped and took a picture out his passenger window at the first one, I did not see what it was because I never look. The last thing I want to see is someone else's pain or even worse, dead or mangled bodies and most egregious an injured child, as well as bringing traffic to a standstill. So I mind my own business of driving safely and keeping my eyes on the road. It seems like common sense but then again I never text and drive either so common sense seems to be in short supply on the road these days. 

You should try Florida where we have drivers from all over the country and world on our at any given moment. It’s a perpetual free for all because no one knows the rules.


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[perseveringgolfer]

22 hours ago, chisag said:

... I think anyone slowing down or even worse, stopping to look at a traffic accident should have their license suspended for a month and forced do daily community service for those 30 days. I had a 4.5 hour drive turn into 6.5 hours because of 3 accidents. 3!?! The guy in front of me actually stopped and took a picture out his passenger window at the first one, I did not see what it was because I never look. The last thing I want to see is someone else's pain or even worse, dead or mangled bodies and most egregious an injured child, as well as bringing traffic to a standstill. So I mind my own business of driving safely and keeping my eyes on the road. It seems like common sense but then again I never text and drive either so common sense seems to be in short supply on the road these days. 

This type of comment I hear over here as well and it makes me question what people do when they see an accident up ahead. Do they put the blinkers on and speed up? or do they do the decent human caring thing and slow down as there could be pedestrians on the road in a confused state, or you just might be able to assist!

I'm not referring about the people who stop for pictures, that is just plain wrong and speaks volumes about them as a person.

I would hate to think I or anyone I know would be ignored in an accident for fear of being accused of being a 'rubber necker' or incur the wrath of individuals who scorn anyone who dares to think there might be other poor souls in need of help.

I speak as someone who has helped and I have friends who have saved peoples lives because they slowed down.

If you think you were 'inconvenienced' for being a bit late, put yourself in the shoes of the inconvenience of an accident victim!

[PlaidJacket]

5 hours ago, revkev said:

You should try Florida where we have drivers from all over the country and world on our at any given moment. It’s a perpetual free for all because no one knows the rules.

Dang, what's wrong with you Rev. Everyone is welcome here don't you know. Rules? You're so old school. 

[chisag]

1 hour ago, perseveringgolfer said:

This type of comment I hear over here as well and it makes me question what people do when they see an accident up ahead. Do they put the blinkers on and speed up? or do they do the decent human caring thing and slow down as there could be pedestrians on the road in a confused state, or you just might be able to assist!

I'm not referring about the people who stop for pictures, that is just plain wrong and speaks volumes about them as a person.

I would hate to think I or anyone I know would be ignored in an accident for fear of being accused of being a 'rubber necker' or incur the wrath of individuals who scorn anyone who dares to think there might be other poor souls in need of help.

I speak as someone who has helped and I have friends who have saved peoples lives because they slowed down.

If you think you were 'inconvenienced' for being a bit late, put yourself in the shoes of the inconvenience of an accident victim!

 

... You obviously live in another country. "put on the blinkers and speed up" is certainly not an option when cars are stacked on top of each other for up to 5 miles deep, creeping along a few feet at a time and stopping, then creeping along a few more feet. They are usually attracted to the lights from the police cars and/or ambulance, so stopping is not an option as the police are waving cars thru. Fwiw, I saw a big accident outside of Atlanta heading north when I was heading south last week and 3 lanes turned into one lane with motorists creeping thru that one lane because they had to look. I am not exaggerating when I say traffic was backed up 3 lanes deep for over 10 miles. 

... Coming across a new accident, especially on an uncrowded road is a completely different scenario and of course stopping to help would be the right thing to do. But over here people seem to be morbidly attracted to accidents with plenty of help already in place.  

[chisag]

8 hours ago, revkev said:

You should try Florida where we have drivers from all over the country and world on our at any given moment. It’s a perpetual free for all because no one knows the rules.

 

 

... 2 of those accidents were in Florida! 

Edited October 27, 2019 by chisag

[bens197]

The Fire District I serve covers 18 miles of expressway. Prior to working in NY, I spent 3 years in a busy County Department in Southeast Florida where we covered 52 miles of interstate 95 and the Florida Turnpike.

You wouldn’t believe the ignorance of drivers who travel along with and against traffic during an accident.

I don’t like to say I’m immune to it but there isn’t anything that surprises me when it comes to this job.

I’ll just say this. Try setting up a landing zone for a helicopter to lift away a critical trauma patient and have a brand new Chevy Suburban pull along the shoulder asking why they can’t pass now that the helicopter is on the road and the rotors are not moving.


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[Mr. 82]

5 hours ago, perseveringgolfer said:

This type of comment I hear over here as well and it makes me question what people do when they see an accident up ahead. Do they put the blinkers on and speed up? or do they do the decent human caring thing and slow down as there could be pedestrians on the road in a confused state, or you just might be able to assist!

I'm not referring about the people who stop for pictures, that is just plain wrong and speaks volumes about them as a person.

I would hate to think I or anyone I know would be ignored in an accident for fear of being accused of being a 'rubber necker' or incur the wrath of individuals who scorn anyone who dares to think there might be other poor souls in need of help.

I speak as someone who has helped and I have friends who have saved peoples lives because they slowed down.

If you think you were 'inconvenienced' for being a bit late, put yourself in the shoes of the inconvenience of an accident victim!

I can't speak for @chisag but I am in total agreement with what he says, and I share his frustration.  And I am quite sure he is talking about a crash that is only forcing him to be stuck behind morons that insist on stopping and looking at the carnage of someone else's misfortune.

Every crash I have ever come across came when I was so far away from the crash and by the time I was able to even reach the scene to see what happened there were enough police, firefighters and EMTs to form a small Army battalion.  So there is no guilt, or lack of compassion from me whatsoever.  If anything, even if I wanted to help I couldn't because I would have probably been arrested by a cop for getting out of my vehicle and making an already large problem even worse.

I am honestly shocked at your judgmental attitude towards someone who needed to vent some frustration at dealing with the majority of drivers who lack common courtesy for those around them.  It's the same thing I see day in and day out where you get stuck behind someone on a one lane road going 35 mph in a 45 mph zone and you can't pass for 5 miles due to heavy traffic.  Never mind that the 30 car backup caused by this one slow and selfish driver inconvenienced everyone else just because you couldn't apply common courtesy to your own life and at least try and consider others ahead of yourself.

It's always the way I drive, always thinking of others before myself, and getting out of the way of someone who wants to go a bit faster then I am going.  It's also very frustrating when I am going the posted speed limit, on that same one lane road, and someone behind me decides to tailgate me close enough to see the dirt specs on my bumper.  Tailgating is another bad habit that I see in a lot of drivers that I've actually stopped to confront one or two folks about from time to time.  I was actually on my way to the golf course one day and a guy in a truck was literally so close to my tail that I couldn't even see his headlights in my rear view mirror.  I got to the golf course, where he was going as well, and walked up to him after parking and asked him why he was tailgating me.  He looked at me like I was crazy and said he didn't realize he was doing that.  But I see it over and over and over again.  

I can even take this story in another direction, and just to prove a point about tailgaters.  I live in a residential area where the speed limit is 30 mph, which no one seems to want to abide by.  One day I was being tailgated by someone, so I decided to try something, so I sped up to 40 mph, and they remained right on my tail.  I sped up to 50 mph, and they remained just as vigilant on my tail.  Then I took it to 60 mph, double the posted limit, and still they tailgated me.

Yes, that is dangerous, and that's my point.  It doesn't matter how fast you are going, even over the speed limit.  It's never fast enough for some people.  So I don't even bother anymore, and just go the speed limit everywhere I go now.  If you are tailgating me on a one lane road it still drives me nuts, but I will actually pull my car over and let you pass if I can do it safely.  I just tire of people doing it though, as it's incredibly dangerous and stupid.

[chisag]

... GSwag I hate to sound like I just bought a new Get Off My Lawn sign, but those of us that know the dangers of following too close certainly understand your post. Drivers Training taught us to keep one car length back for every 10 mph we drive. I have an auto function on my cruise control that won't allow me any closer which I find refreshing. But to your point, I remember when teenage boys were the most reckless drivers, myself included, and insurance premiums were much higher for boys than girls. Young girls were simply the most conscientious drivers. Take pick up trucks out of the equation (which is a whole nuther subject) and it is the young girls driving like an accident just waiting to happen. Right on your bumper and when moved out of the way they crawl up the next bumper, often changing lanes with much too high a speed and no turn signal AND texting while they do it. Their entitlement to the road is just mind boggling. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2104754/Why-looking-car-crash-GOOD-mental-health.html

 

Humans are drawn to disasters and piles ups the big crash in nascar, the big hit on the football field or the big check in hockey, back the day the collisions at home plate.

[jaxbeachpackerfan]

Funny  story.  Back many years ago, before cell phones, a friend and co-worker was heading into downtown Milwaukee on the freeway and a barrel fell off a truck ahead and hit his car.  Some damage but no injuries, but serious enough he has to wait on the side of the road for a tow.

His dear wife also worked downtown, but started work about an hour after him, so she was driving separately on the same freeway.  She shared OPs frustration with gawkers and adamantly refused to even look at an accident as she goes by.  Well, my friend sees her car approaching and hopes to get a ride into work with her and starts waving, jumping up and down and yelling "Hey Megan, STOP", but to no avail.   Driving by, eyes fixed straight ahead, she went to work leaving dear hubby to make his way into work a couple of hours later.