Today's 401 problems | GTAMotorcycle.com

Today's 401 problems

Metastable

Metastable

Well-known member
Now what I am going to say here is speculative, but it opens up the debate for visual barriers being erected during highway accidents. I was listening to 680 and there was an eastbound crash and a helicopter was used to fly an accident victim to Sunnybrook. This was between Mavis and Hurontario. Then there was an accident that happened after in the westbound lanes around Dixie. Now considering there was a "life filght" happening on the eastbound lanes, you just have to know the gawkers were out in FULL FORCE going in the other direction.

Could they have eventually caused the westbound crash? That's the first thought that came into my head after I heard of the westbound crash.

I've heard of places like Japan erecting mobile barriers so that you reduce the gawking effect.... and keep the flow of traffic moving. I think this would be a good idea for our highway accidents, it MAY HAVE saved a life today.
 
I've wondered about this very thing. It's apparent that gawkers are an issue any time there is an accident on a major thoroughfare/highway... Traffic slows, almost to a stop at times for no apparent reason other than the people that want to gawk are slowing right down so they can get a good look. I lay on my horn and point ahead when I see idiots doing this. Hello! You're in traffic and supposed to be driving here! :rolleyes:
 
This was a unique case because of the eastbound accident, but the eastbound lanes past the westbound accident were flying when I went by..there was so little traffic because of the eastbound accident.

It would be nice if barriers worked..no idea if they do or not.. I think people should just mind their own business and realize they're driving 120kmh on a highway and shouldn't be diverting their attention..too much to ask I suppose!! :)
 
Mr.YamaSaki suggests giving tickets to the event as a possible solution.
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Mr.YamaSaki said:
Mr.YamaSaki suggests giving tickets to the event as a possible solution.
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Or better yet, giving tickets to those people that are rubber necking.
 
wow.
i have been a huge advocate of putting up barriers between the hiways.

every time i talk about it, people look at me like i am not making sense.

i think it is a great idea, and would solve a lot of the problems we have with traffic.

too many people stop to look at accidents, its ridiculous.

of course..... it would cost money.... tax payers money.... to put up the barriers.

and it really doesn't help get better drivers on the road.
sometimes it is not the persons fault, but most of the time it is.
 
nobbie48 said:
Yup and they will slow down even more wondering what's behind the barriers.
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Not true. If they know why the barriers are there and drive that highway everyday to get to work, its just going to be part of their normal day. I agree with the barriers. The only distractions that would come would be those distracted by crashes or breakdowns in their own hwy direction. Or distractions in their own cars or other stupid drivers, etc.
 
There is already a guy who has invented such a thing. He invented a highly visible fence, that is to be placed at car accidents etc to prevent anyone going any direction from viewing the scene. However, i dont think he has found any investors in the project and the biggest hurdle to over come is .. who is going to put them in place and take them down at each scene.

I for one working at emergency scenes on busy highways and arterial roads, wish they would hurry this up. Tired of yelling at drivers who are to busy looking at the pretty blinking lights or the car wreck that no ONE has ever seen before.
 
Yep, those gawkers will slow the F down to a crawl just to get a look. Drives me nuts. You wonder why the lane is as slow as the accident lane, then u see the idiots gawking.
 
It just takes one rubbernecker to slow down to slow down traffic. Then everyone behind is forced to slow down, whether they want to see or not. Since traffic is crawling, everyone resorts to gawking anyway. There's no getting around this.
 
The accident on the EB 401 occurred first (around 3pm) and when I drove by (around 5pm) the EB was still closed, but the WB backup was not that bad. You think a helicopter is something to gawk at, a minivan on its side by the divider with the roof torn open isn't much better.

The accident that occurred on the WB 401 by Dixie occurred 45 minutes after the first accident, and was the result of a tractor trailer rear-ending an SUV, but given traffic backup at that time, I think it's more likely coincidence that the two occurred that close in time and distance. It is possible that the SUV driver simply cut-off the truck driver and didn't give him enough room to stop... a likely scenario in any stop-n-go traffic.

I would like to know what caused the minivan to swerve into the cement barrier though.

http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110718/110718_401_fatal/20110718/?hub=CP24Home

As for "rubber necking", I don't do that. But I do try to drive cautiously (if I can't move over a lane) passed accidents in my current direction because of the people that are walking around the scene. Last thing we need is for a careless witness or some tired and overworked first responder to get injured.
 
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EngineerJoe said:
Last thing we need is for a careless witness or some tired and overworked first responder to get injured.
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Or the lazy, wide-awake and joking around ones I see in the local Sbux parking lot every morning.. :)
 
Generally, accident victims are taken care of quite quickly, by the firefighters who are usually not long after the tow trucks

its generally the cops who hang around long after with lights Flashing , standing around chatting it up with people.

How many times have you been in a wait, and when you get up close, theres nothing left but a couple of cop cars, and a car on a tow truck.

get the thing hooked up, and get off the nearest exit and fill out the reports there.

there no need to be sitting on the side of the highway putting other people at risk.
 
EngineerJoe said:
I would like to know what caused the minivan to swerve into the cement barrier though.
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The configuration of the temporary jersey barriers separating live lanes from the construction at that location is not very good. If you're not paying attention, you easily get sucked in. You can also be forced in by center lane traffic not paying attention to the temporary lane realignments.
 
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