Earlier this week we wrote about a truck accident that may have caused another accident on the opposite side of the interstate. Nashville police spokesperson Kris Mumford said that when a semi truck crashed into a Lexus and then crashed into another truck, a driver on the opposite side, distracted by the accident, crashed his or her car.
IS RUBBERNECKING A SERIOUS THREAT?
According to a report from the National ITS Implementation Research Center, rubbernecking creates significant risk on the road and must be stopped.
“The data indicate that about10 percent of accidents caused rubbernecking,” the report said. “These statistics indicate that the rubbernecking impact is significant. Certain mitigation measures have be taken into consideration.”
SLOWING TRAFFIC
A Dutch research team found that if rubbernecking does not cause an accident, it can impede the flow of traffic. Immediately after an accident, researchers flew a helicopter to the crash site and noticed that the flow of traffic on the opposite road had slowed by nearly 50 percent – despite the lack of obstructions.
“One vehicle, the ‘leader,’ is essentially slowing to look at the incident, creating in essence a backward ‘shock wave’ that everyone else drives into,” wrote researchers from the Delft University of Technology.
If you or a loved one suffered injuries because another driver was not keeping his or her eyes on the road, give us a call at (615) 866-3938 today to schedule a free consultation.
“But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.” – 1 Corinthians 11:31