TelBoy

Why do people do this? What morbid curiosity drives people to risk a big accident on a motorway? I did two junctions on the M25 the other day bumper to bumper *just* for people to rubberneck an incident on the opposite carriageway.

Can't the Police put up big screens along the central reservation to stop people doing this?

Is motorway rubbernecking just another incarnation of our fascination with reality tv shows such as Big Brother?

Personally, i just don't get it.

ajm

Its really annoying, I agree, but I think its its somewhat involuntary too. People see yellow coats and just slow down a bit, the people behind then slow down a little bit more etc etc.

It can takes ages to clear aswell, often the accident can be cleared and there is still a "phantom" rubbernecking effect going on because the area where people slowed down originally is still propagating back.

SPEN555

In order for you to notice them looking and knowing what they have looked at means you must have looked as well.

TopBanana

The blocking screens idea is an interesting one

Johnny50

Screens would get my vote, although probably not their first priority when attending an accident.

Really annoys me though..sit in the traffic or 15mins, thinking the smash is on your side of the m/way...only to get further down and find it's on the other side and it's nosey gits that are holding us up !!

Rant over !!

TelBoy

Spen, i know what you're trying to say, but it's almost impossible to avoid seeing a crash scene, especially at 5mph.

But what are people actually *hoping* to see? Can somebody on here who's done it (and there must be a few) tell me?

Ratman

Oh, you meant BLOCKING screens? Not big electronic screens showing what's going on, as I thought at first!!

I don't rubberneck, but people do like to know what has held them up for half an hour.

Ratman
MY98 Wagon

TelBoy

LOL @ Ratman, yeah, not great big Sony widescreens with slow motion action replays of the smash..!

Brendan Hughes

Blocking screens is a very interesting idea. What do the traffic cops on here think as to the practicality?

Probably tricky as 1) you have to get across to the central reservation to put them up, 2) how do you carry them? they'd have to be 6 ft high, which means a roll 6 ft long, 3) dodgy in the wind, and that includes wind from cars going past at 70mph.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Had a road trip up to Lincoln the other week. Got stuck on the M42 by Brum airport 30mins into the journey purely beacuse nosey 4rses who want a good look and see someones decapitated body or sommat.

About an 1 hour later on the 2lane bit of the M42 A car was well stuffed in the central reservation in the opposite lane and no one batted an eyelid, speed dropped to about 60mph. Obviously everyone on the motorway was still peeved off from being stuck in the previous jam over nothing, so they learnt their lessons Either that or we over took the doddery fools that slowed down earlier.

Not as if just happened either, as there was a mile of tailback on the other carriageway.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Just thought of a good muppet solution....

re-program the GATSO's so when jams occur over nothing they take pictures of cars going TOO slow

And fine the drivers for causing an obstruction, or due care or whatever.

TelBoy

Speed cameras set to a minimum speed, aka Dartford Tunnel, would be a TOP idea, in my opinion.

Scoobydick

Modern life is so boring, full of routine and restriction that people are just fascinated by something different, something new, something that wasn't supposed to happen.

ajm

I don't think screens would make much difference, the people who witnessed the crash itself would have slowed right down and started the wave propagating backwards, this is enough in itself to bring the motorway to a standstill a few miles back.

Screens may speed up the recovery process though.

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

People would slow down to look at the screens, its human nature

Maybe police could put posters on the hard shoulder of the opposite carriageway to the accident of some good looking models in swimwear etc, then they would'nt know which way to look

pugoetru

if the screens were walls that you couldnt see over no rubbernecking would be possible

PG

There are as sugested many, many other priorities at an RTA scene however if there is a fatality this is when covering up (often done with a salvage sheet / tarpollen(sp)) does happen almost straight away.
Scene safety is a BIG issue and more emphisis is put on coning off the area to ensure the safety of crews working on the involved carriagway.
I have been at incidents where we have "screened off" the involved area with our appliance but normaly you are limited for space anyhoo and the police are chomping at the bit to get the road re opened

IMO a screen would just encourage people to slow down all the more so they could try and peek round the sides
I hate rubberneckers as I have been clipped by wing mirrors when working at an RTA with these ***** gawping !
morbid curiosity me thinks ! give them the shovel and the body-bag and see how keen they are to look then !

[Edited by PG - 7/23/2003 3:11:00 PM]

NotoriousREV

Its human nature to look, we all give a cursory glance at big incidents at the very least. The problem is, you think, I'm only doing 10mph, I might as well have a look then you put your foot down, but the delay is enough to keep the hold up in place.

I've hit the horn a few times to get serious rubberneckers to snap back to reality before now.

CooperS

I read somewhere that it's your bodies natural defence mechanism to look at an accident etc.. to assess the danger to yourself.

Could be a load of tripe tho.

The_Lizard

It made me laugh a few days ago when the radio traffic repots said there was a big jam because people were slowing down to see



















wait for it















crews mowing the grass.

pugoetru

lol