How not to save your hindside in a wreck

[john70t]

The first few weeks of the snow or rainy season is always the worse for accidents.

Be careful out there, folks, and let those Darwin winners take 1st place in the short race.

I watched the extras from the movie Grand Prix.
In the rain scene, it turned out all those crashed cars were not staged..

[T77911S]

wow
usually people slow down to rubber neck.

looked like a NASCAR pile up in slow motion

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by MMARSH

There wasnt a police car at that scene.....

We know this because it wasn't hit by a Tesla on autopilot!

[gregpark]

If the cars involved in that horrific chain of events were fully automated self driving cars they would not have crashed into that mess. We've all seen the 50 car pile ups in dense fog.
That said, I hate the thought of self driving cars. But can't they use just a little bit of the technology? radar that senses a stopped car in your lane a half mile ahead in the dark and then flashes a warning on your dash "traffic stopped ahead, slow down right NOW!!" ?
You can't teach every driver to pay strict attention, some have to learn the hard way

[speeder]

I knew that was the 110 before I even started the video!

[Zeke]

I only made it to the 2 minute mark before I was laughing so hard I couldn't see. Only in L.A. are people that stupid. Or should I say drivers?

No, I'll leave it at all people.

Edit: I went back for more and started laughing again. The circus was never that funny. I guess you have to drive a race car or something to know that braking is normally done in a straight line. You either steer around it or hit the brakes. Not both. The first hit was classic. Not a hint of brake lights, just instant deceleration from whatever the driver was doing to zero in a 10th of a second. Looked like one of those crash tests with the dummy with a yellow X on its head. I could watch that for hours.

[brp914]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Jesus! One thing I noticed...other than truckers, few activated their flashers...

I just noticed, the original driver's tail lights were functional, so he didn't turn his emergency flashers on. On top of that, it appears he had a right front blowout and just stopped in his tracks rather than pull to the shoulder. And then decided casually stroll about. I'll venture he's not a Cal Tech grad. Out on a limb there.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by brp914

I just noticed, the original driver's tail lights were functional, so he didn't turn his emergency flashers on. On top of that, it appears he had a right front blowout and just stopped in his tracks rather than pull to the shoulder. And then decided casually stroll about. I'll venture he's not a Cal Tech grad. Out on a limb there.

Yep..he just sat there...in a dark car, in the dark. Maybe calling for a tow truck? I'm sure one arrived....eventually.

[Crowbob]

Originally Posted by Zeke

I only made it to the 2 minute mark before I was laughing so hard I couldn't see. Only in L.A. are people that stupid. Or should I say drivers?

No, I'll leave it at all people.

Edit: I went back for more and started laughing again. The circus was never that funny. I guess you have to drive a race car or something to know that braking is normally done in a straight line. You either steer around it or hit the brakes. Not both. The first hit was classic. Not a hint of brake lights, just instant deceleration from whatever the driver was doing to zero in a 10th of a second. Looked like one of those crash tests with the dummy with a yellow X on its head. I could watch that for hours.

Seek help, Zeke.

[David]

After watching that a couple times I noticed a gap in the video after the guy gets in the car a second time. I wonder if the video poster edited out a part where the original driver got off the freeway before the first car hit to make the video more dramatic.

EDIT: I read the youtube description, "The driver of the initial vehicle that had crashed fled the scene on foot."

[rockfan4]

Originally Posted by brp914

I just noticed, the original driver's tail lights were functional, so he didn't turn his emergency flashers on. On top of that, it appears he had a right front blowout and just stopped in his tracks rather than pull to the shoulder. And then decided casually stroll about. I'll venture he's not a Cal Tech grad. Out on a limb there.

No, more than a flat. Curtain airbag is deployed at least on the passenger side, and something dislodged the taillight.
I know the youtuber says he was helping by shining his spotlight on the wreck, but I wonder if he had his flashers on. I've seen the same thing, car on the shoulder with the flashers on at dusk, and I've fixated on the car with the flashers and almost not seen the real issue. In my case a guy pulled over, put on his flashers, then got out to go to the median. Moved over to the left lane, as is the law in WI, and almost got him.

[rusnak]

I really think we need to bring back Driver's Education in California high schools.

[rattlsnak]

So why didnt the guy with the big spotlight turn it around and try to warn the oncoming traffic? geez...

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

Seek help, Zeke.

You don't think wrecks are funny? There must be 10's of 1000's on YouTube and the number of views is astronomical. I guess I'm not alone.

Now I don't wish for death or injury, but to see someone roaring down the road plowing into a stopped object is nothing more than Tom and Jerry, Roadrunner, and countless others. In a visual sense it's pure comedy.

But what made me laugh the hardest was the total ineptitude of unaware drivers trying to handle an automobile. It did look like a circus, just not rehearsed.

Living in L.A. County most of my life I've driven into these kinds of deals more than once. And every time there seemed to be a lot more responsibility exhibited.

That was just a major CF. And as such, it was hilarious.

[GH85Carrera]

Long long ago at my first job, several ambulance chaser attorneys had the company I worked for on retainer. I had to go to the scene of a few big pileups and deadly crash sites to photo document what I could. Some were pretty gory, and some were really kinda cool.

The insurance companies would want the car destroyed ASAP if they could, so sometimes I had to go to the impound yard and photograph the fresh gore. That sucked.

The cool one was a train that hit a semi with a load of cotton. No injuries, just lots of money involved. Months later there was still cotton balls all over the area. The train company hired us, and I waited at the intersection. A train stopped a mile away, the engine pulled up and stopped. I shot photos of it from all angles. Then I got on the engine, and he backed up 100 ft, 200 Ft, and so on to 1,000 feet and then 2,000 feet. Then he pulled forward to let me off, and he went back to get the train. That was fun.

Many of the crashes were just head scratchers as to how someone could be such a bad driver to crash like that.

[GothingNC]

That was crazy ! Glad nobody was killed.

[group911@aol.co]

Um, have you ever noticed the number of pictures in the random transportation thread that our very own have been taking while driving?

Originally Posted by Baz

LOL......people all on their phones.

Meanwhile the media is warning us all about the pandemic.

Not one word about the freaking idiots on their freaking phones while driving.....

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

Seek help, Zeke.

Seriously.
My initial reactions were concern for those who may have been hurt or may end up with major hardship due to the financial loss. Unless they were purposefully doing a "hold my beer and watch this" moment I would not be gleeful over someone elses mistake and demise.

Do we know the layout of the road? Was it after a crest of a hill or a corner where you were blind to the accident until you were right upon it?

[Baz]

Originally Posted by rattlsnak

So why didnt the guy with the big spotlight turn it around and try to warn the oncoming traffic? geez...

Are you saying he should shine the spotlight in the direction of the oncoming traffic?

Not sure if you were serious.

One night as I was traveling the back roads here on the island on the way home, a lady walking her dog shined her flashlight right at me the entire time as I drove past her. Right into my eyes! I'm sure she thought she was doing the right thing to advise me of her and her dog's presence, but in effect when you blind the driver of an oncoming vehicle - how in heck are they supposed to see you?

What a well-meaning idiot!

I wasn't driving very fast at all saw her VERY well beforehand, and as I always do when there's no oncoming traffic, I went all the way into the opposite lane and drove at a snail's pace until I went by them. Proper protocol for me in situations like that.

-------

What ever happened to emergency kits people used to carry in their trunks when they broke down - with flares, cones, reflective triangle, etc?

[rattlsnak]

Originally Posted by Baz

Are you saying he should shine the spotlight in the direction of the oncoming traffic?

Not sure if you were serious.

Well of course not shine it in their faces, but he could have circled it around or waived it overhead or something to get their attention.