Rubbernecking

[Slab]

Another all to regular tailback this morning with the cause being a traffic accident on the opposite dual carriageway and everyone slowing down to get a good look

Wiki says "Rubbernecking is the act of gawking or staring at something of interest. A common example of rubbernecking is drivers trying to view the aftermath of a traffic accident"

Not even going to ask if you do it, we all do to one extend or another

With so few of us medically (or otherwise) trained or even able to assist, why do you do it?

Is it concern, a morbid (or other) curiosity, the chance to see some twisted metal in an unnatural shape or something else?

Is it just human nature to take an interest in anything outside the norm?

For me I believe I drive through the accident area as quickly as I can given the flow of traffic but as for the level of rubbernecking I guess its a bit of a mix of idle curiosity and while definitely not wishing any injuries to anyone but if I've been held up in traffic then seeing a bit of material damage helps justify it over avoidable reasons for traffic delays

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Morbid curiosity and human nature to take an interest to whats going on.

I think a lot also slow down just incase the accident has caused issues their side of the carrigaway

 

[pbrown7582]

I think a lot also slow down and cause an accident their side of the carrigaway

that's more like it!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

that's more like it!

No doubt at all - not sure what can be done to stop it

 

[Slab]

No doubt at all - not sure what can be done to stop it

I know some regions have used screens etc in an effort to help this but I guess they still take some time to get to the scene/set up and by then it might be too late to prevent another shunt

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I know some regions have used screens etc in an effort to help this but I guess they still take some time to get to the scene/set up and by then it might be too late to prevent another shunt

I reckon people would still slow down even with screens there

 

[Slab]

I reckon people would still slow down even with screens there

Prob right, after-all the screen is just as much a deviation to the norm that it will in itself attract attention

 

[Birchy]

Its hard to switch off human instinct. Most people who say they don't even look probably take a quick peek

 

[Deleted member 1740]

It took 2hrs for me to get home from Manchester last night and the most obvious thing I've noticed is the amount of people who can't drive on the motorway.

2hrs to do 38 miles with no incidents the cause is pathetic.

 

[pbrown7582]

It took 2hrs for me to get home from Manchester last night and the most obvious thing I've noticed is the amount of people who can't drive on the motorway.

2hrs to do 38 miles with no incidents the cause is pathetic.

It's not only motorways the crazy things people do are sometimes beyond belief.

Motorway driving should need a separate test much the same as towing a caravan or driving an artic.

 

[guest100718]

It took 2hrs for me to get home from Manchester last night and the most obvious thing I've noticed is the amount of people who can't drive on the motorway.

2hrs to do 38 miles with no incidents the cause is pathetic.

The sooner we have self drive cars on the motorway the better.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I personally usually slow down near an accident to leave extra space for the rubberneckers... I don't want to be in another shunt!

I do have a slightly related question? Do modern cars automatically flash the hazard warning lights if someone breaks heavily? It seems to happen at times when the driver really should be concentrating on something more important, like the traffic around them.

I look far enough ahead to usually be mostly slowed by the time I see someone flash them.

 

[la_lucha]

I slow down because of all the rubberneckers infront. Usually when I reach the incident I am in that much of a rush to speed away with my onward journey I don't look over.

I always wonder, is this so called rubbernecking actually caused at the same time as the incident? If you're driving up the motorway and an incident happens before your eyes on the opposite carriageway you will slow down incase there is any spillover. At peak times this would cause a chain reaction of brakelights which would eventually result in a tailback.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

\I'm not convinced that there are that many folks who actually slow down to 'rubberneck' an accident - they might look - but mostly as thet pass the incident slowly. When an incident occurs drivers at the scene on the other side of the road will instinctively brake and slow down. When this happens on a busy motorway say this will cause the cars behind to brake ans slow down - and the cars behind them to brake and slow down ...and so on back down the motorway. basic wave traffic flow wave theory modelling shows how this works. And even although those who initially braked almost immediately speed up again the affect of their braking ripples back and so we get what appears to be folks deliberately driving slowly past an incident to have a look - when in fact they had to slow down some distance prior to the incident and they are not able to speed up until they reach the point ro0und about where the original vehicles increased their speed.

 

[Khamelion]

It's not just an accident that causes rubber necking, the blue lights still flashing on top of a police car that's pulled someone over for speeding has the same effect. Now whether that be because people will automatically slow down because it's a police car or whether they think it's an accident and want to gawp I don't know, but either way it's a right pain in the ass when you 9 mile journey home which normally takes 10 mins on a clear road, takes 30mins plus because of rubberneckers.

 

[guest100718]

I personally usually slow down near an accident to leave extra space for the rubberneckers... I don't want to be in another shunt!

I do have a slightly related question? Do modern cars automatically flash the hazard warning lights if someone breaks heavily? It seems to happen at times when the driver really should be concentrating on something more important, like the traffic around them.

I look far enough ahead to usually be mostly slowed by the time I see someone flash them.

Yes.

 

[pbrown7582]

Yes.

We've just got an 09plate car so not that modern really, and it has the hazards come on under heavy breaking.

 

[woody69]

It's instinctive that if an incident occurs on the other carriage way you are quite likely to break and slow down. If traffic is heavy this creates a concertina affect with all the traffic slowing down, which obviously has a knock on affect. It then struggles to get going again as people are naturally going slower they tend to take a look. Screens may well assist in getting the traffic on the other carriage way moving quicker, but you'll still get a quite a period where you crawl past the screens themselves as people will still try and look due to the circumstances of them having to go slower anyway.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

It's not just an accident that causes rubber necking, the blue lights still flashing on top of a police car that's pulled someone over for speeding has the same effect. Now whether that be because people will automatically slow down because it's a police car or whether they think it's an accident and want to gawp I don't know, but either way it's a right pain in the ass when you 9 mile journey home which normally takes 10 mins on a clear road, takes 30mins plus because of rubberneckers.

I think most drivers slow down when they see an incident or 'blue light' for many reasons - and I don't think 'rubbernecking' is top of that list. When they see an accident happen they instinctively brake (out of shock and fear!) - this braking causes all the traffic behind to slow down because they have to. I think the number who actually choose to slow down to look is probably quite small.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Human nature I'm afraid to see what's going on. Of course with drivers on your own side of the road doing it as well of course the risk of a shunt is increased. Screens aren't the answer as the chances are those with a more morbid fascination will just strain harder to catch a glimpse and increase the chances of an accident elsewhere.

It won't change.