Rubbernecking Car Accidents
Ever slowed down to check out an Accident?
Rubbernecking is where drivers slow down to look at accidents or anything out of the ordinary on the highway. Events ranging from different types of car accidents to a police car stopped on the shoulder can cause traffic jams on both sides of the road, even if the roadway has been cleared.
Although caution is advised when there is unexpected activity on the side of a road, a car with a flat tire on the side of a highway often causes as much slow down as a real accident would due to rubbernecking. The slowdown in traffic persists even after the accident scene has been cleared if traffic is dense. Traffic experts call this phenomenon a phantom accident. Often this behavior causes additional and sometimes more deadly accidents among the rubberneckers.
Los Angeles California Car Accident Attorneys
While
cell phones have recently sprung up as a common cause of car accidents, a study, the largest to date on crashes involving distracted drivers, found that rubbernecking causes far more accidents than cell phone use.
The largest number of accidents was caused by drivers looking at other accidents, traffic or roadside incidents. Comparatively, cell phone use ranked as the sixth highest cause. The study included data on more than 2,700 accidents involving distracted drivers.
If you have been involved in any type of auto accident it is important to consult with legal representation right away.