2008-04-14
Cultural and Regional Differences Causing Deaths in Weather Related Auto Accidents
Author: Lance Winslow
Traveling around the country one notes how different people drive during various weather conditions. In fact, it is so different than when adverse weather hits, such as a hail storm, black ice on the road, Monsoon, heavy rain, blizzard, Hurricane, dust storm or micro-burst - the mixing of different age groups, sizes of cars and trucks, and regions where people are from can be deadly. Let’s discuss two very serious accidents on California highways recently.
The first on involved over 30-tractor trailer, 18-wheeler trucks and at least 10 automobiles- it was in I-5 an interstate freeway that stretches all the way from Mexico to Canada. The truck drivers were from all over the country, with different levels of weather knowledge. One truck crashed another stopped, but was hit from behind and the pile up ensued for a good ten minutes. It was the first real rainstorm of the season and the tunnel they were driving thru was a blind curve - many deaths and a 100s of millions of dollars needed in repairs now.
The second crash in the same region happened a week later, when a giant dust storm dropped the visibility. A Canadian driver and one from Washington State died, because Californian’s did not stop, they tried to Bonzai thru. “Dude, speed up this is sooo cool, radical dude!”
It is known that the mixing of trucks and four-wheelers (cars) with speed gaps 55 mph VS. 70 mph is a recipe for disaster. It is also known that old drivers and young drivers do not mix. Ask any tow truck driver, older drivers have back bumper damage and younger drivers have front bumper and front quarter-panel damage. Young drivers, drive too fast and older drivers often drive slower than the average speed of traffic