Here’s someone who is able to ‘rubberneck’ without much ado… and without causing carnage… but he’s a BIRD…!
So what makes us HUMANS. think we can do the same…?
Rubbernecking describes the act of gawking at something of interest. It is often used to refer to passing motorists trying to view the carnage resulting from a traffic accident [with the knock-on effect being the passing motorists slow down considerably]. The term literally refers to the craning of a person’s neck in order to get a better view. (Cue the ostrich…)
According to a 2003 study, rubbernecking was the cause of 16 percent of distraction related traffic accidents. Well I can assure you that that figure is way on the conservative side if my two decades of international driving exposure are anything to go by and Australia is no exception to that.
It has to be one of the most infuriating aspects to motorway driving. I accept traffic jams caused by the weather (fog, snow, etc), roadworks (diversions, construction, etc), and accidents themselves BUT not traffic jams that are caused by idiots out sightseeing! We have scenic/tourist roads for that purpose. Motorways were designed as a means of moving large amounts of people from one place to another in a fast and efficient way. If you want to enjoy the sights en-route, take the appropriate roads… and stay well clear of the motorways!
I guess I should be thankful that rubberneckers don’t exhibit another well known characteristic of the ostrich… and that is sticking their heads in the sand when faced with a problem… Imagine the carnage when a driver got lost…
Tags: motorways, rubbernecking, traffic jams