Rubbernecking refers to the act of slowing down to view the scene of an accident. Blame it on morbid curiosity – most people just have to have a glimpse of what is causing traffic to slow to a crawl.
The problem with rubbernecking is that once it starts, the effect immediately spreads. Once a driver slows down to rubberneck, the motorists behind him will also have to slow down. And since they’re being delayed, most people think, “I might as well see what’s causing the delay”.
Motorists who rubberneck to acquire the licence plate numbers of the vehicles involved worsen the situation. Yes, there are many stories of people who struck 4D or Toto by betting on these numbers. I guess they see nothing wrong in profiting from someone else’s misery.
One possible solution to the rubbernecking problem is for the Traffic Police to install screens around the scene of the accident. If they can’t see what’s going on or note down “lucky” digits, perhaps motorists will do the right thing and move along.
Rubbernecking doesn’t just cause delays – it’s downright dangerous, too. If the driver in front of you suddenly nails the brakes because there’s an accident in the adjacent lane, he risks causing another accident. If the authorities want to clamp down on reckless driving and distracted drivers, rubbernecking is definitely something they should try to eliminate.
I must be one of the few drivers who subscribe to the “there’s nothing to see here, folks” philosophy. I can’t bring myself to slow down to check out the carnage. Perhaps I’m always in a hurry, or perhaps like other sane drivers, I’d rather not see any blood (or guts, for that matter).
