Auto Collision? Pull Over to the Side of the Road
Idiocy Meter
Asshole Meter
How many people truly know what they’re supposed to do when they get in an auto collision? My State Farm agent provided us with a list that tells us exactly what to do and what information to collect in the event that we are involved in an accident. Sure, your adrenaline is rushing, your nerves may be frayed–things definitely slip through the cracks. However, there are certain basics that all driver should know without thinking. This was submitted by a reader:
“I was coming back from a car show (we won 2nd place, woo hoo!) in Yorba Linda with the ’65 in tow today when I came upon stopped traffic, northbound I-5 in the Norwalk area. Stopped traffic on a Sunday? Something’s up. As I’m slowly coming up to the scene, I couldn’t believe it. How stupid can these people be?? I mean just look at the potential for something nasty to happen here!! And not to mention it’s the law to move the vehicles to the right unless there are injuries, and by seeing the 1 guy on the phone walking around and bending to look at the bumpers and the other writing notes, there’s nothing preventing these idiots from moving to the wide right shoulder up ahead! They think it’s a friggin’ crime scene–”I ain’t movin’ until the police show up and you better not also or else.” And what’s worse, check out the lookie loos going southbound; that traffic was backed up for about 2 miles just to look at these morons (oooohhhh, aaaahhhhh), my god people….”
So unless there are injuries or your vehicle is not drivable, pull over to the shoulder. Don’t just sit there in the #1 fast lane of traffic, making everyone else pay for your inability to maintain a proper distance between your car and the one in front of you. This case also looks like a straightforward rear-ender resulting from either tailgating or just the old CHP catchall of traveling too fast for the conditions (v.c. 22350). So there’s no mystery, fellas….your cars don’t need to be exactly in those positions on the freeway. Further, if there are no injuries and you call 911 or the CHP, they’ll just instruct you to pull over to the side and exchange information anyway….most of the time, cops never show up.
Filed under: clueless, observation
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The bigger idiots are those lookie-loos, slowing down to stare.
I’ve seen drivers ride the brakes passing a fender-bender accident, presumably as their lives are so dull, this kind of thing is just plain fascinating.
I blare the horn at these rubber-neckers, & you should too.
Honestly, I’m not sure if in this case it would have been possible. There’s a LOT of debris in the road, one or both cars may be disabled, and trying to get over from the fast lane in a disabled car can be quite dangerous. In this case, it was probably safer, once traffic started to slow down or stop, to wait for the CHP.
I agree with Russell- that’s a lot of car debris hanging out there and I doubt the white car is in any shape to try and cut across the entire freeway without impeeding traffic even more. Besides waiting for the CHP, how about waiting for that tow truck?
Are we supposed to carry snow shovels and large utility brooms in our trunks along with the jumper cables?
I have jumper cables, toolkits you name it, been times where people are stranded at gas stations that needed just a tweak, saved a lot of people this way.
Never know when you’re in that jamm either hehe.
You’ll be VERY suprised how hard of a hit a car will take before the engine actually stops running. Yes, it’ll make alot of nasty noises and such but if it can move, MOVE IT!! It’s not hard to pick up the real big pieces and set them on top of your buckled hood and drive slowly to the right. Do you really think your car will overheat or fry the engine in less than 30 seconds? Wait for the tow truck? Sure. 20 minutes MINIMUM AFTER CHP calls them out after they get there. Unless you flag one down that just happens to be driving by, but how do you know he’s not a bird dogger and heard the call on the CHP scanner? He’s not gonna just take your car, but ALOT of money as well and CASH ONLY. I used to be a Freeway Service Patrol driver several years back, it was my job to keep the freeways clear, me and my beat partners recieved several thank you letters from appreciative people that we’ve helped get back on the road and commendations from CHP for keeping the freeways moving, we did whatever it took to keep you moving on the 134, but when we got under bid by some yahoo who was going to pay his guys that have no experience and spoke minimal english $9 an hour with no bennies while literally putting his ass on the (fog) line, I quit.
Ken, I got me the basic essentials in my pick-up and under the bunk in my KW and have made alot of people’s day when they get rolling again from a total stranger. Who says truck drivers are nasty people?? I try to do things the old fashioned way, and a thank you is all I need. When folks got stuck on the Grapevine when it iced up earlier this year, I let them in the KW to stay warm and share my hot chocolate with them until help arrived. Heat, TV, microwave, bunk beds, blankets, internet, fridge, food, I had it all.
Ed: I agree, usually after work I enjoy a smoke near a restaurant, and straight away there’s a gas station, many times people pull in the station and need help, a little jump or whether to change a tire, so it’s a good feeling, one of the strangers I helped invited me to dinner with his girlfriend after I helped him change the tire, he couldn’t get the crank out of the trunk for some odd reason; the crank was wedged into the side of the trunk and unremovable.