This was filmed on I-70 outside Kansas City, MO yesterday.
I'm very glad I was nowhere near that! Apparently 47 vehicles were involved. One person died, and seven were injured. Allowing for the time it would have taken responders to arrive at the scene, and the time needed to remove just one vehicle (even with several tow trucks working at once), I have to think it took the best part of a day to clear away that lot . . .
Peter
Don't surprise me at all. The KC crowd is some of the worst drivers I have ever had to share a road with and that was on dry pavement.
ReplyDeleteI've driven in that stuff plenty around Detroit. Never seen anyone there drive that bad. I wonder how many had the cruise control @70?
ReplyDeleteDid you see any (ANY) hazard lights flashing? I saw none in the first 54 seconds. I've never seen it that bad when I was in Missouri, though I've seen enough in North Dakota.
ReplyDeleteFred, I'm guessing WAAAAAAAY too many of them did.
This is why you want more lug nuts.
ReplyDeleteMore lug nuts is the only counter to people who drive nuts.
That little blue car with the guy all squished up inside is how you die when you depend on the average IQ to keep you alive on a bad road.
I remember seeing a video very close to this (in fact, from memory it looks like the same one) a year or two ago. I see news stories about this crash so it appears people haven't learned.
ReplyDeleteTimes like that inertia is likely not your friend.
ReplyDeleteDrove to southern Illinois last Wednesday and southern Iowa last Friday...both drives were near the Mississippi.
ReplyDeleteSemi-trailers STILL in ditches Wednesday around noon, dozen-or-so tracks of cars and trucks in the median and in the ditches. Cars and (small) trucks STILL in the medians on Friday.
Combination of ice-storm and black-ice from drifting snow likely the cause in both States. Yes, 40 MPH or less IS YOUR FRIEND.
These high count accidents only appear to occur during sudden loss of visibility. This is not due to a simple slippery road condition, that is merely a contributory effect that makes it worse.
ReplyDeleteOne of the factors is that most drivers don't really look very far ahead of their vehicle. Quite often they are only looking at the taillights of the vehicle in front of them. That, and distractions inside their vehicle, such as phones, music systems, food, and passengers.
However, various sudden weather conditions can quickly cause you to be unable to see a car length ahead of you. It is especially hazardous at night.
Back around '99 (IIRC), there was a pileup in San Jose CA on a freeway (280/680) that involved over 100 vehicles. Sudden pea-soup fog rolled in (Tule Fog?), and visibility disappeared. CHP called in every towtruck they could, designated a nearby field for a collection site, and it still took most of the day to clear the roadway. I happened to drive by on the other side shortly afterwards, sun shining, and it looked like a war zone convoy attack. Just bizarre.
These kind of pileups...
ReplyDeleteYou can do everything right driving, stop successfully, even have the guy behind you stop safely. Then a high mass vehicle doesn't and your vehicle is the crunchy center of a mess.
And God help you if there is a fire.