Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information. Terms of Use, During the last four decades, traffic safety initiatives have made remarkable progress. Texting behind the wheel is … What Are the Rights of a Passenger in a Car Crash, Features And Liability Laws Surrounding Self-Driving Cars, Avoiding Deadly Highway Shoulder Accidents, How a Utah Premises Liability Injury Case Works, What Happens When You Get Into A Car Accident, Kimball Junction, UT – Pedestrian Hit-And-Run At Transit Center Roundabout, Panguitch, UT – Motorcyclist Killed In Accident On UT-143, St George, UT – Many Injured In Crash On S 270 E & E Riverside Dr, Despite Awareness & New Laws, Motorcycle Deaths Are On The Rise, Ogden, UT – Officer Hospitalized In Sideswipe At I-84 & UT-79, Price, UT – 8 Teens Injured In Rollover Near Pinnacle Peak. According to some estimates, drivers actually spend a little more than half of their time behind the wheel paying attention to something other than the road. Make sure your passengers aren’t trying to rubberneck either. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident caused by a rubbernecking, distracted driver, Mezrano Law Firm wants to help. But distracted driving is a broader term, encompassing a number of different reckless behaviors. So get yourself to a safe place and then call for help. In 2015, a study conducted by a group of psychological scientists from the University of Central Florida put this idea to the test and found that completely obscuring the scene with a barrier drastically reduced drivers’ glances to the side of the road. All of that is great news for drivers, of course, but any celebration would be premature.

It is bad enough that the federal government estimates that 16% of all crash-related deaths in the U.S. are caused by some form of distraction. The Dallas News reported in February on the death of a 75-year-old author in Waco, Texas. New regulations for safety have successfully fostered efforts to educate motorists about common reasons for car crashes, which has ultimately created a significant decline in the rate of traffic-related deaths. A lot of the time, motorists will slow down and even stop traffic altogether due to their own innate curiosity, attempting to get a look at what happened in the crash. It can be hard not to stare at something unexpected, like a car fire or a lot of police vehicles speeding down a shoulder, but rubbernecking is dangerous. In England, as part of an effort to keep drivers’ eyes on the road and feet on the gas pedal, the government is already investing in incident screens to block drivers’ wandering eyes. Steven Mezrano is absolutely amazing.

Where rubbernecking is concerned, the issue can become frustrating for experts as this is a behavior that is entirely preventable. It happens all the time: people slow down to see what’s going on, or they stop to take pictures or videos of something interesting. Most folks, when they think of “distracted” driving, think of texting and driving, or using a phone in some way. Rubberneckers are drivers who look out the car window at some roadside incident, such as a wreck or a police pull-over instead of paying attention to the road. One example is “rubbernecking,” the act of staring at something – usually out of morbid curiosity.

Looking at an accident scene instead of directly in front may cause a driver to miss traffic directions from police or other emergency personnel. As parents, we want to keep our teen drivers safe — and we can, if we understand the risks they face. Your baby in the backseat could start crying, another driver could startle you by honking his car horn, or an insect could decide to land on your nose. Where rubbernecking is concerned, the issue can become frustrating for experts as this is a behavior that is entirely preventable. The author’s death happened after the vehicle in which she was riding was involved in a collision with two other vehicles and a semi-truck. Their studies found that there is a lingering effect resulting from distraction that can cause drivers to be less attentive on the road for an estimated 27 seconds even after the distraction is over. Phone: (256) 203-3000, 2615 6th Street, Suite 9 Rubbernecking, also known as 'bumper to bumper', is when there is something going on on the roadway that is so distracting that everyone has to stop and/or slow down just in order to catch a glimpse of what is going on. But when you are traveling down a highway at 60 or 70 mph, and the car in front of you suddenly slows down, stops short, or starts to drift in the lane because the driver is distracted by something happening on the side of the road, it can be deadly. Phone: (205) 206-6300, 215 W College Street The bright lights and colors on emergency response vehicles are designed to grab people’s visual attention. A Florida injury lawyer, family man and avid cyclist who clients have trusted for over 25 years. If you or a loved one has been involved in any sort of traffic accident, contact Herrman & Herrman, P.L.L.C., to seek appropriate legal help and start resolving your case. If you can turn them on for a few seconds before you move, even better; it gives the other drivers extra time to see your signal. The blinking lights can draw attention to your vehicle so other drivers are aware of it. Birmingham, AL 35209 Remember that your behavior sets the example for your teen, so when you are driving together and you pass an accident, point out the importance of keeping your eyes on the road. The foundation further says: Rubbernecking increases the chance of rear-ending another car. It seems that there are moments when other drivers are seemingly unable to stop themselves from looking at wrecked vehicles, injured passengers, or emergency workers who are rendering aid at the scene of a wreck. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that the last decade saw a 25% reduction in fatalities and a 13% decline in traffic injuries. The National Safety Council eliminates preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. According to some estimates, drivers actually spend a little more than half of their time behind the wheel paying attention to something other than the road. , mostly. These vehicles... read more, Personal injury is a term that encompasses an injury caused by a negligent or reckless person or party which... read more, We have all seen videos from dashcams that show a car careening off the highway and hitting another vehicle... read more, How Does Premises Liability Laws Relate to Dog Bite Injuries in Utah? But distracted driving is a broader term, encompassing a number of different reckless behaviors.
However, rubbernecking is something different entirely. These often cause serious neck and back injuries including herniated discs in the cervical spine, an extremely painful injury that often necessitates surgery, often a cervical spinal fusion surgery.

These distractions can vary from conversations with others inside the vehicle (15% of crashes), being on the phone (12%), to being distracted by something inside (10%) or outside (9%) of the vehicle. From texting and talking on the phone to adjusting the radio or GPS, distractions are everywhere when we’re driving, but they don’t all revolve around technology. Automobile accidents resulting from distracted driving can devastate finances, and create physical, mental, and emotional trauma that can impact you for years to come. The United Kingdom’s Highways Agency has recently been using screens to block off certain areas around car crashes and has even documented positive outcomes when attempting to reduce rates of rubbernecking. Rubbernecking is a form of distracted driving, which carries massive risks for other drivers and yourself, and it can cause major accidents. We know, because we represent the family of a person who was killed when a rubbernecking truck driver collided with the victim. No one in a sane state of mind would want to drive that far without looking at the road. But the facts are hard to hear. Rubbernecking involves a conscious decision to stare at something outside of your car, rather than paying attention to the road. All Rights Reserved.


The official term for this slow-down is “rubbernecking.” Wikipedia says rubbernecking is “the act of staring at something of interest and says the word refers to the physical act of craning one’s neck in order to get a better view.”. ©2020 Jim Dodson Law, All Rights Reserved, Reproduced with Permission. rubbernecking synonyms, rubbernecking pronunciation, rubbernecking translation, English dictionary definition of rubbernecking. Rubbernecking does more than cause minor traffic delays; it can actually cause other vehicle accidents. Rubbernecking is a form of distracted driving, which carries massive risks for other drivers and yourself, and it can cause major accidents. Rubbernecking is a type of distraction equivalent of other dangerous driving habits, such as talking on the phone or texting while driving. There is no obligation. A 2003 study conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University for the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles found that rubbernecking was the number one cause of distracted driving accidents, responsible for 16% of accidents. (If the study were to be repeated in 2012, with the proliferation of cell phones, SmartPhones, and texting, the ranking would undoubtedly be higher.) Even more, research from the AAA finds that distraction may even be a greater concern than the available statistics show. Mobile, AL 36606 A study conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University reported in the Journal of Transportation in 2014 indicated that the act of rubbernecking was the main cause of accidents that involved distracted driving, and that statistic has not shifted much in the last decade. Curiosity, most likely. Rubbernecking does more than simply causing minor delays for other drivers and causing traffic to slow to a slow crawl. DriveitHOME™ is an initiative of the National Safety Council, designed by and for parents of newly licensed teen drivers. 84401. Solutions of this kind can help to prevent this type of distracted driving by reducing the visual incentive to stop and stare. Rubbernecking is a Top Cause of Distracted Driving Accidents. Keep your eyes on the road ahead of you.

Simply put, rubbernecking accidents happen because drivers are not looking where they are going. Rubbernecking is a notable example, and according to some estimates, motorists may even spend more than half of their when operating a car actually paying attention to something else on the roadway. Safe Actions for Employee Returns (SAFER), Training at Your Facility by an NSC Instructor, State Certified Defensive Driving Programs, Teen / Young Adult Defensive Driving Courses, Green Cross for Safety Awards Celebration, your behavior sets the example for your teen, Events on the side of the road—including car crashes. Car crashes are the number one killer of teens. Rubbernecking is a type of distraction equivalent of other dangerous driving habits, such as talking on the phone or texting while driving. The Salt Lake City personal injury lawyers at Siegfried & Jensen have been providing Utah residents who are victims of negligent drivers in order to help them recover damages after an accident, such as unforeseen medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering. Rubbernecking—or slowing down to scope out an accident on the side of the road—is a major cause of traffic jams. He helped me out so much. The United Kingdom’s Highways Agency has been using screens to block off the areas around traffic accidents and has reported positive results when it comes to reducing rubbernecking. DriveitHOME™ offers free resources parents can use to help their teen build experience to become safer drivers. In the U.S., local police departments are starting to invest in screens manufactured by a company called Stop Rubbernecking, LLC. 1801 Oxmoor Rd. Texting behind the wheel is another dangerous behavior behind the wheel.