Annoying Driving Rubbernecking Behaviors

David777

David777

Well-known Member
Location
Silicon Valley
I dislike :mad: the behavior of significant numbers of drivers that cannot resist RUBBERNECKING behavior. If there are any on this board, I suspect they won't admit to being one? Who else here is annoyed by those who behave driving so?

Occasionally while driving freeways and limited access highways, one will find oneself in backed-up traffic due to situations beyond where one can visually see ahead, often blocking at least some lanes. Sometimes that is caused by accidents in the lanes ahead where one is traveling. So, a valid reason for patiently enduring slow downs.

And then there are situations where there are accidents on the other side of a freeway, where looky-loo rubberneckers, unfortunately slow down to look at what is going on that causes NEEDLESS traffic back-ups. Another type of rubbernecking is when there isn't an accident or even a valid reason to slow down, say if a highway patrol car is simply giving a speeding ticket to a driver parked beside a road that results in other curious drivers slowing down to look. Experiments have shown, some rubberneck prone drivers will hilariously even slow way down well below speed limits, to look at 2 dimensional sign, fake patrol cars placed beside highways.

Yesterday I found myself in a situation where freeway traffic was stalled to barely moving in my direction for unknown reasons that was about 1.5 miles ahead on a 6 lane freeway because some drivers rubbernecked at an accident scene on the opposite side of the highway where traffic was totally stopped, backed up for maybe 4 miles when I moved through.

How to Stop Rubbernecking

How to Stop Rubbernecking

Freeway traffic comes to a halt after an accident, and if cars are getting backed up, it can take a while to get them all up and moving again at a normal speed.

After sitting in a car for 13 minutes, creeping forward inch by inch, you'd think that drivers would be deadset on getting going as soon as possible. But they aren't. More than half of drivers look over, trying to get a look at crash evidence at the side of the road. Drivers treat this experience as if they were waiting in line at Six Flags to get into the shark experience: They waited in line and now they want a show.

It reminds me of a situation which I see at the post office over my lunch hour. Two or three postal agents will attempt to service an impatient line of customers. The people in line grouse and complain about the speed of the transactions ahead. Yet, when they themselves are in front of an agent, they dawdle and yap and shoot the breeze with the agent, weighing the value of 21¢ Delivery Assurance vs. 44¢ Signed Confirmation as if time did not exist.

When something is visible
Even with the wrecked cars safely out of the traffic lane, the glut of stopped cars does not start flowing freely again. A virtual bottleneck is maintained because cars at the front edge of the jam do not accelerate as quickly as they could. The urge to accelerate out of the cluster is momentarily overridden with the urge to get a look at what caused the holdup in the first place: A Dodge Magnum with a crinkle-cut front hood.

When nothing is visible
When there is nothing visible on the side of the road, drivers jump at the chance to accelerate out of the cluster. The front edge of the traffic jam moves backward. Fewer and fewer cars are locked in the jam until it breaks up completely.

According to a 2003 study of traffic accidents conducted by the Virginia DMV and VCU, rubbernecking is responsible for 16% of all distraction-related accidents.
 

I find rubbernecking more the closer I get to St Louis than where I live now. That is one reason I stay out of having to drive the major interstates if I have to go past St Lou. You'd think out my way would be more than it is as there is more likely a chance they may know people involved and looking to see if it's a loved one, maybe they don't care or they know where loved ones are in the area.
Yes, I do hate it and when I am approaching an accident my first thought is, if that was me out there laying on the ground or being dragged into a police car would I want everyone staring at me for a cheap thrill. I don't look and keep my eyes on that guys brake lights ahead of me.
 
Rubbernecking is a common human behavior, it does noticeably slow the traffic flow, for no good reason.
On the rare occasion when a highway patrol vehicle is present, the traffic flow dips way below the normal 15 mph over the speed limit down to around the actual speed limit.
 

I'm a world class rubbernecker, can't help it as I'm very curious. I am smart enough to not impede traffic flow, I'm not slowing down to gawk, and my eyes are always forward while in traffic, accident scenes or construction zones, but get me on an empty road and I'm looking all over.
 
Some states (maybe all?) have laws that require a driver to slow down and move over when an emergency vehicle is stopped on the shoulder or in a lane for whatever reason. And I do look over because there are usually police, firefighters, EMS walking around and I want to know where they are, for their safety.

However, there is NO reason whatsoever for traffic moving in the opposite direction on a divided roadway to slow down.
 
What cracks me up are the drivers that stare at people just walking on the sidewalk, instead paying attention to the road and their own business.
 
Although it is natural for people to be curious when passing an accident or unusual event on the other side of freeways, the obviously flawed, annoying habit, drivers ought NOT develop a habit over, is pressing their brake pedals while looking wherever. Of course, IF one can see red brake lights on vehicles ahead, yes one ought prepare to brake also. But if other drivers are not braking, don't be that annoying person that first does so and thus starts a chain reaction of others doing the same. Learn to look quickly without braking.

The other part of the issue is as my link above described, those that once they approach the location where say an accident is on the opposite side of a freeway, DO NOT be the person that continues to cause the traffic slowdown by preparing NOT to BRAKE once one reaches wherever they can see whatever and rather speed up as soon as possible. That does not mean one cannot glance momentarily what is going on, even if speeding up. Most of the 50% of drivers that don't rubberneck are probably still looking quickly, but are NOT braking at the scene.

Consider the 1.5 or so mile long backup I experienced Monday. I'd bet 98% of those driving 5 to 10mph over that distance greatly did not want to be stuck in that slog even if they didn't have something important they were going to. Same modestly negative feeling when standing in long long lines at the supermarket. Not being an unnecessary factor in why that occurs does matter and each of us has the ability within their driving actions to reduce the tendency for such slowdowns to occur.

It is hypocritical to be annoyed while slowly moving ahead and then do the exact same thing that causes it as though it doesn't matter, once at the scene. Since people that do so are aware, no one will confront them about being annoying, they will do so just like the person that when leaving a restroom stall, only washes their hands if there are others there to see them.
 
I use I-80, that leads right into NYC. about 100 miles from me. My section is only 4 lanes- most other sections are 6 lanes. It doesn't take much to make 80 a parking lot. I've been stuck on 80 , and the reason was a guy well off the road changing a tire!!!!!!!!!
 
With all the major highways in NJ and vehicles of every nature from all over, we have accidents galore. Rubbernecking appears to be great sport here and drives my son nuts. Especially, since he lives down the shore, and it's easier to take the Parkway, I-95, or 287 than the pokey 2 lane roads to get there. So, bottlenecks occur.

Now my contention is this, take those old back roads I used to take when I was a young driver, and you will get there just as fast as getting caught in a line of nosey folks who can't do a darn thing for the poor people involved in the accident to begin with.

This was why I never had R.N. on my license plates, and today lots of doctors are eschewing using the M.D. or D.O. designation on theirs. Stay out of it.
 
from GoodEnuff:
Some states (maybe all?) have laws that require a driver to slow down and move over when an emergency vehicle is stopped on the shoulder or in a lane for whatever reason. And I do look over because there are usually police, firefighters, EMS walking around and I want to know where they are, for their safety.


Yep, that is a law here.

Pennsylvania's MOVE OVER law requires drivers approaching an emergency response area who are unable to safely merge into a lane farther away from the response area to "pass the emergency response area at a speed of no more than 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit and reasonable for safely passing." An emergency response area is where an emergency vehicle has its lights flashing, or where road crews or emergency responders have lighted flares, posted signs, or try to warn travelers.

We are required to slow down, rubbernecking or not.

Going 20 UNDER the limit WILL back up traffic, often for miles.
 
Last edited:
Traffic slowdowns on the same side of a freeway as where an accident occurred, does not apply to vehicles on the opposite, otherwise free flowing side of freeways from an incident that this discussion was carefully only focused on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top