PSA:If the accident is not blocking the travel lanes....

[MaumeeMom]

I'll slow down, but I'm looking for car parts/broken glass, not body parts. I don't want to get a flat tire from running over something I shouldn't.

I thought you were supposed to slow down (to a reasonable speed) for the safety of the emergency personnel and others at the scene?

I agree.

Often at an accident, there are people getting out, looking at their cars, standing by the side of the road, police and EMS are trying to pull up, etc.

It is wise to slow down to avoid a secondary accident.

I agree. I'll slow down too.
Actually, there are signs here in OH that say "Slow down or move over". This applies to anything stopped on the shoulder from an accident to a trooper with someone pulled over for a traffic stop.

 

[JessicaR]

Rubbernecking is here to stay. All the PSA's in the world won't change that. It frustrates me too. Slowing down to be cautious is one thing. Its totally another thing when you have someone urging traffic on and they still slow down to a crawl.

Human nature I guess.

 

[sbell111]

In most states, the law is to get out of the nearby lane (which tends to slow that lane way down ) or slow down. This causes traffic to back up, but it makes it much safer for anyone working that accident.

 

[JessicaR]

Again, these are situations where the travel lanes are clear...

I don't know how wide shoulders or medians are in other areas, but in the situations I seem to get stuck in every other day there is NOTHING on the road and all activity is contained to the median or shoulder.

And sometimes on the other side of a divided road. As soon as the rubbernecker starts moving you do too because its wide open in front of them.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

I remember when I moved from a rural area in MI to the detroit area. People over there wouldn't even slow down for a car fire on the side of the road! It was crazy. Everyone was in such a hurry. I was so scared driving to work. Thank goodness we are back to the rural area! I'll take getting stuck in slow downs anyday. I don't even mind the slow moving farm equipment I always get behind.

 

[Kies99]

I've seen plenty of white sheets, but no parts yet.

I did come up on an accident that HAD to have had fatalities but didn't see anything. Car was on it's side and shoved up into a very large boulder. Roof totally collapsed in. Had just happened as no emergency people there and a lot of other cars had already stopped.

 

[Carl]

Peter Pan, I'm with you. MOVE IT ON!

 

[PeterPan09]

And sometimes on the other side of a divided road. As soon as the rubbernecker starts moving you do too because its wide open in front of them.

Oh yeah..that's a given here. I'm on I-4 west sitting in a parking lot for an hour and I finally see the accident, off on the shoulder of I-4 EAST. And as soon as Curious George in front of me is sure that the accident victim's contact lens is not on the road in front of him or anywhere around...the speed jumps from 20 to 70.

I know there's no cure for this, just like there's no cure for the clowns that will insist on driving in snow even though they have no need to be out and have no clue how to drive in it. I lived in NJ long enough to experience that too.

This is the DIS Community Board and the perfect venue for the airing of public grievances that have no solution.