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What a bunch of morons

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A good reality check is something everyone can use every once in a while. The next time you're breezing along on the highway, going 75-80, in a pack of cars, daydreaming a bit or listening to tunes - think to yourself:

For how many drivers was this the last image their brain ever processed? And how did their family feel when they got the news?
 
I missed being in that mess by about 10 minutes. I got to sit on the highway for almost three hours thanks to that mess. Was interesting watching the traffic cams on my phone, I would see the ambulances drive by me on the side of the road and then about 35 seconds later, they would show up at the accident scene on my phone.
 
jdobratz said:
I missed being in that mess by about 10 minutes. I got to sit on the highway for almost three hours thanks to that mess. Was interesting watching the traffic cams on my phone, I would see the ambulances drive by me on the side of the road and then about 35 seconds later, they would show up at the accident scene on my phone.
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Lucky!

It also makes no sense when drivers clump together, tailgating each other.
 
It always amazes me when I see drivers apparently trying to go at the normal speed limit on slippery roads. I see it all the time. It's as if they have no idea or concept of driving any differently in the rain or snow.

You would think the ice and snow would slow them down, but there are always plenty of people who think dropping a few mph is all they need to do in the snow.

Some of them appear to have forgotten that they might need to stop.
 
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ThatsABigOne said:
Lucky!

It also makes no sense when drivers clump together, tailgating each other.
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It's infuriating when they tailgate you on slick roads...

You're trying to maintain a steady safe speed and a good gap and keep some traction, and someone always has to ride your ass...
 
Not that this an excuse for what happened, but I don't think the video shows it well. It went from normal winter driving, with light snow flurries, to almost whiteout conditions in like a minute. That's what started it all off and why you see people coming up on the scene unaware. They were going too fast but you really couldn't see that far ahead and why people were just barreling into the mess of wrecked cars.
 
jdobratz said:
They were going too fast but you really couldn't see that far ahead
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There's always more to a scene like this than a camera can capture, but there's no question they were driving too fast and too close together for conditions. It's not just the visibility. There is quite a bit of snow on that road. Enough to make lane changes a little squirrely at least. I know Wisconsin laughs at this sort of weather, but still... slow down and drop back a bit.
 
skyking said:
we were in a small one of those things at the top of Snoqualmie Pass, I got the car tucked in between and somehow escaped being bashed by a few feet. I got in front of a big block of those (wrecked) morons and over to the right and waited it out. A jackknifed truck had all but 8 feet of the road completely blocked ahead.
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I've driven snoqualmie pass many times in the winter having to drive to and from school. Every year I'd see a few large SUVs off the side of the road damaged, often without chains. I never had anything nearly that bad though. It amazed me to no end how many large vehicles would zoom by me going at least 50 mph in highly adverse weather conditions...
 
jdobratz said:
Not that this an excuse for what happened, but I don't think the video shows it well. It went from normal winter driving, with light snow flurries, to almost whiteout conditions in like a minute. That's what started it all off and why you see people coming up on the scene unaware. They were going too fast but you really couldn't see that far ahead and why people were just barreling into the mess of wrecked cars.
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Irrelevant that the weather changed. The bolded part is what the essential problem was in that crash and most other snow crashes. Driving just too damned fast for conditions. And if the weather worsens, slow down more. Simple, eh?

No other excuse can be given. Driving too fast for conditions. Have no sympathy for the drivers in that clusterfusk of a pileup.


Heck, I grew up in the South and had very little if any exposure to snow driving until I left home and moved to the NE....MA, NH, NJ and DC areas. I never crashed one car during the years I lived up in those states. Why? I drove within the capabilities of the vehicle given the weather conditions. It's not exactly rocket science, after all, but a lot of drivers act like it is...or act like they've never seen snow or ice before in their lives and insist 55mph is just fine on a snow covered, slushy or icy road.

Worse is them riding your bumper and trying to force you to go faster because "they know how to drive in snow and how dare you go slower than they want to" idiots, like the idiots in the linked video. Never understood it.

For instance, 4 years ago I picked up an 18' V-hull boat in Madison, WI and drove it back to Cape Cod--I-90 the whole way out and back. It was January and on the way home hit a snow storm that started around Cleveland, OH, got horrible when I hit Buffalo, NY and stayed that way until I got beyond Albany, NY. My little Murano pulling that boat never missed a beat, but of course, I was matching what the semi drivers were doing---around 40-45mph during the worst of it, sometimes even down into the 30+ mph range. Meanwhile, we'd get passed by idiots trying to do 60mph. Eventually, we'd catch up to some of them as they'd be into the guard rails or stuck on the side of the road.

And I don't know how to drive in the snow, the northerners would say....because I drive "too slow".
 
We spent 25 years in northern California's Central Valley. Home of the "tule fog" that gets so thick you can't see the end of your hood. Doesn't matter to the idiots...they still try to drive 75+. It can be deceptive when you're following a line of cars. You often can't tell just how bad visibility actually is...until everything in front of you comes to a screeching halt...and you're in the middle of a 50 car pile-up.
Fortunately, I was never "in" such a pile-up, but I have been in the traffic back up behind them...and was able to avoid the actual "get together."
I drove a 2 lane road for part of my commute for many years. I was always surprised at the idiots who try to pass when they can't see 20 feet...and saw quite a few head-on accidents as a result.


You just can't fix stupid...but Darwin can.
 
some of the cars following "speeders" aren't really at fault (going the speed of traffic - yes even in snow), but those who are leading the way with the lack of distance perception of slowed or stopped cars are just fuggin retarded. Or they were texting.
 
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A while ago, my Dad and I was driving home from the airport. It was raining hard. We were on the freeway, middle lane, very light traffic. Guy in the same lane behind us thought we were going too slow. He decided to pass us, on the right, with style. He changed lane, slammed his pedal, and rocketed past us. Right after passing for 1-2 car length in front of us, he lost control, weaved wildly into a spin out, and slammed into the median.


It was a good show. I had court side seating to a nice live action demonstration of hydroplaning.
 
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The other day it was raining and with heavy fog. In the early morning hours people continued to drive around without any lights on. No headlights, no courtesy lamps. Nothing. They act like they are invincible.
 
Ayrahvon said:
I've driven snoqualmie pass many times in the winter having to drive to and from school. Every year I'd see a few large SUVs off the side of the road damaged, often without chains. I never had anything nearly that bad though. It amazed me to no end how many large vehicles would zoom by me going at least 50 mph in highly adverse weather conditions...
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I drove to NYC a bit ago and there was snow on the way. I saw multiple semi's, one completely turned upside down on the way. It was unreal really.
 
I thought Coloradans couldn't drive for shit. LOL! Well, the great folks of WI allowed the city to install LEDs in the damn traffic lights, and guess what? They don't produce heat and snow stuck on the traffic lights so you couldn't see them. LOL!
 
i like how they get out of their cars and mill about the area.

'hey it sure is slick out here'
'ya think a speeding car could hit one of the wrecks and hit us?'
'nah.'
'cool.'
 
Markbnj said:
That's pretty much what I thought 80% of them were doing.
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That's no joke either. 😡
My neighbor and his wife were in a head-on collision Sunday.
They were in their lane on a typical county road, at a pretty sharp little bend to the left.
They just had enough time to see the driver looking down as he smashed into them. both were injured, and the texting idiot had to be cut out of his truck with the big shears.
Pete had just got the truck the way he wanted it, and it got smashed to the windshield. The other driver had no insurance as well.
 
So many people who were completely oblivious. Obviously were not watching the road ahead at all. Very similar sights this morning on my 1h47m drive into work (18miles). So many morons doing moron things.
 
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