We all come across a day when there’s a car accident way ahead and the traffic refuses to budge an inch. Now you may have assumed the reason for congestion that the police have arrived at the scene and are assessing the damage, and ambulances are being called for those injured. But eventually you find out that the accident had taken place hours ago and the mere reason for the motionless traffic is the onlookers whose curiosity has gotten the better of them and are vying to get a good peak at the carnage site. This inane activity is referred to as rubbernecking.
Why We Call it Rubbernecking?
Wondering what the term rubbernecking has to do with it. Well, the expression denotes the human behaviour of craning one’s neck to get a better look at something. As trivial as it sounds, this habit has been known to cause some serious damage. When passing car drivers attempt to get a good view of the accident by slowing down their cars, not only do they obstruct the movement of other vehicles, but at times also cause more accidents. The drivers may justify their behaviour as sheer curiosity, but they must be aware of the road etiquettes that need to be followed.
Consequences
In the Arab countries, it is a common sight to see people gathered around an accident site or drivers stopping their cars to gape at some commotion on the roadside. When one car halts, it sets all the following cars into slow motion as well, making traffic flow impossible, hence creating a domino effect. Rubbernecking can reduce the road’s capacity by an approximate 50% and halt traffic in both directions. Moreover, in some cases the drivers get so obsessed with gawking that with their entire concentration fixed on the site they end up hitting the car in front of them, which leads to more chaos on the road.
Measures
Though the police and those in charge have time and again offered many solutions to overcome this practice, there is not much that can be done. For one, it would be impractical for police officers to start handing out fines to spectators who get unnecessarily involved in accidents. Also, an accident site is not exactly easy to conceal from those passing by. Although in certain places like Netherland and UK, special screens have been designed to cover the incident spot and shield them from the probing eyes of the public, they haven’t made much headway. The screens are susceptible to blowing winds, and their size is an issue, as different accidents may require a different sized screen.
Road Etiquette
Most drivers in the Middle East are unaware of the right conduct on roads and thus need to be made aware of the grave consequences. They have to be more alert of their actions, as they are likely to be held liable for any mishap they cause by this behaviour. Motorists should display more vigilance and responsibility while driving through an accident spot, as they are accountable for more than their own life. It is also wise for those involved in minor accidents to remove their vehicles from the main road to avoid any hindrance to other cars.