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Caught On Camera: Terrifying 200-Car Pile-Up In Real Time
While in no way minimizing the terror that must have been extreme among the drivers and passengers of these 200 vehicles as they slowed, slid, and slammed into one another on I-94 (near Battle Creek, Michigan), one can't help but analogize to the two most crowded trades in the world right now and what happens when the traders' "liquidity" is the same as the drivers' "visibility."
Via The Concourse from DeadSpin,
If you've ever read one of those "ten million car pileup on [insert Midwestern highway here]" stories and wondered how it happened, this video of I-94 near Battle Creek, Michigan from yesterday should help explain it. Visibility is so low that once a couple of vehicles wreck, the ones coming behind can't see them until it's too late, and they helplessly slide into each other and become one giant katamari.
As the second half of the video demonstrates, these wrecks are goddamn scary and dangerous. In this particular one, the Detroit Free Press reports that one person was killed and two dozen taken to the hospital.
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Why do these people drive so fast in such shitty weather? Also looks like they didn't have winter tires. I don't feel bad for these idiots.
Studded tires used to be common, but they tore up the roads and were banned.
Lots of midwesterners learned to drive on studs, many bad habits formed.
I think I've seen that one before... ah! Now I know!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkA6Xl5mU8A
;)
I Can't Drive 55!
It's the northerners always giving southerners crap about how they can't drive in the snow and ice. It looked like a lot of those cars were driving above 50 mph in terrible icy conditions. Slow down. Truckers should know better. They have radios.
Cameraman sits there filming, doesnt even think to help anyone for the first half, and shoots the whole thing in pillar box format.
Fucking twat.
There were studies done recently in oz that revealed that in accidents and surprising startle events people often take as much as 30 seconds on average to overcome the mental confusion and regain full control of their faculties and respond properly. Could be much the same thing here. I'll see if I can locate the reference.
Edit: Found it
In:
The Effects of Startle on Pilots During Critical Events: A Case Study Analysis Wayne L. Martin, Patrick S. Murray, Paul R. Bates, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
http://www98.griffith.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/10072/54072/1/82496_1.pdf
Takes longer when those pilots are startled out of a nap.
Even longer if they are 'negotiating' with one of the stewardesses.
I agree about the vertical filming and the not helping but some people above suggested he'd go up the road and warn people. That would not work. People would ignore and there are plenty of examples where people that did that ended up dead because they were hit by a car.
Anyway, people are idiots for driving like that in these conditions.
Stupid yankees. It's just a winter... I bet they are driving in the summer tires
I blame Russian HAARP system.
That is pretty much 169 North in Minneapolis any day from 10/1 through 4/30.
Lots of people with half a brain cell driving around there.
Stupid Ameri...s
It's a good job that Obama wants everyone to have a college education as it is plain to see that most drivers (apart from the last truck) believe that their god will protect them as they career along the road at 200 yard stopping distance speed with 100 yard visibility.
Every last one of those crash participants should be charged with reckless endangerment.
It wasn't an accident it was a foregone conclusion.
(only one killed and yet they all carry the deathwish, maybe tomorrow will be their day)
Don't care
if it rains or freezes,
'long as I got my plastic Jesus
glued to the dashboard of my car.
'50's singalong
...I can drive 100 miles an hour,
as long as I have the Almighty power,
glued up next to my pair of fuzzy dice...
Don't care
if it freezes or rains,
Cuz I can sing my refrains
In angelic wings
By not slowin' when the snow was blowin'
Education won't help these fools
screw college education, allocate that money instead on mandatory classes where people actually learn how to control an automobile. oh wait, almost forgot automated cars will become common place within a few years leading to the outlawing of all manually driven cars.
It's snowing and blowing out.. take chances, don't slow down.
Every day driving is hazardous people riding my ass all the time speed past me and who do i pull up next to at the red light?
People today are in such a hurry they don't bother to look ahead ... same thing while sitting at red light, I always give myself 3 feet of road from what my eyes judge that i can see the rear tire of the car in front of me....if someone plows into me I stand a much better chance of not being shoved into the car in front of me.
If you rear end someone at a stop light from someone rear ending you...then your at fault and it's your insurance that pays ...
If you rear end someone at a stop light from someone rear ending you...then your at fault and it's your insurance that pays ..
Well, they tried that BS with me about 20 years ago when some broad putting on makeup slammed into me (stopped at the red light) at 30 rmph. Hit me so hard my hands came off the wheel, and my foot off the brake. Hit the car in front, some damage to both bumpers. Her insurance adjuster tries to tell me that's my fault for 'stopping too close behind'.
I was in my mid-30's. I listened, waited a couple of moments and then very calmly asked "Is that the argument you want to present to a jury? Because if that's your position, I' m going to sue." I got a cheque for all the damages about two weeks later.
Darwin awards...all around.
I seen it posted here many times already. But if you want to crash, crash at 15 MPH, not at 50. WTF?
Calcium chloride is good to -50 o C.
http://www.phasediagram.dk/binary/calcium_chloride.htm
But then again, we can't actually expect road crews and bureaucrats to actually do anything worthwile, and use actual tax money for the safety of the populace, can we?
Of course not. Let them eat snow !
Tax money is for buying missiles and bailing out your friends' banks, you see.
WTF????
why didn't the flippin camera guy just get back into his car, zip up the road half a mile, hop over the fence an wave down the oncoming traffic?
"so, what do you do today"?
1) "i got some great footage of people dying in a pile up"
2) "i prevented some people from dying in a pile up"
I know which i'd prefer to be saying.....
The monday morning quarterbacks are all here this morning.
Please dont take bad risks. Walking next to a highway full of vehicles that cannot stop is an excessive risk.
I'm glad he filmed it. I can show it to my 16 year old who will soon be driving on his own.
Here in NE Minnesota, we drive that type of weather all the time. Over 5-6 months of it!
I can comment on this extraordinary pile up. First look at the speed of the oncoming cars and trucks! They are, what we call, hauling ass! Visibility is minimal, meaning your eyesight ahead is much LESS than the stopping distance of your vehicle if you need to stop.
I slow down in this type of condition, but I am always passed by like I am standing still by a good 75% of drivers. Worst offenders are the big trucks. I have been in blind conditions and my all wheel drive toyota is holding the road well, but you can feel the slippery pavement if you just jag the wheels a bit to one side. In these conditions trucks are blowing past me as I try and maintain 55MPH, which is still too fast really. I estimate trucks go by me at 70MPH, in blind conditions!
This pile up is horrible to watch. People just blow into it at top speed. Look at a couple of those trucks, they never even had time to break, two of them managed to drive off the road, or plenty people would have died.
Just a note, In Sweden, a country I am very familiar with, big trucks are restricted to the right hand low speed lane and may not exceed a roughly 60 MPH speed under any conditions. The cars have access to either lane, and most are in the high speed lane(s). Truck auto crashes are rare for this reason. You will never find trucks switching lanes and passing an auto. Just doesn't happen, it's illegal. In the USA, we operate opposite, truckers rule th road, and autos do their best to stay out of their way. Obviously Americans much prefer their way. Fine. Myself, I prefer Sweden's driving rules, in the long run they save money. And truck accidents are almost unheard off. They get in their lane and simply plow along at the legal limit, never having to pass or get held up by autos. In the long run, it is less expensive overall.
Jack, the problem with Sweden's method here is that a $60 microwave at Walmart might then need to be priced at $61. Lives are cheaper.
Indeed! That is the reason I think.
I drive the Indiana stretch of I 94 with those same jackass truckers every day.
Most truckers are high on biker-crank or worse while they are driving on top of my license plate. they are hell bent for carnage. They have no regard for life, limb, or the pursuit of happiness.
That is my experience too! What's worse, we have a long highway along the shore of lake superior, not a freeway, two way traffic, the only road into Canada. Truckers ride so close you couldn't fit a sheet of paper between bumpers. Yet, they can't pass either, due to turns, hill and traffic. But still must ride your ass, high on crank, no doubt. A power trip.
Leadership is required in all crisis situations. Headbanger is right. Someone should have obtained a flare and either shot it down the highway, or illuminated it. The trucks might have one and that should have been a task for someone while others check on the injured.
Also: local radio stations should have been alerted and interrupting broadcasts for this emergency sitaution. Probably not now that everyone has a cellphone, but I doubt cell can succssfully transmit through that snow coverage. Every motorist should have a CB of some kind, any kind (GE HELP! is $20 on ebay), and even with 1000 feet notice they can have people pulling over early on Channel 9.
I don't know how well an 8W HAM handheld dual-band transmitter (Baofeng, anyone?) would do in the snow, would be interested in comments.
I feel sorry for everyone involved. That was truly fucking terrifying.
Which reminds me: Why the hell do film composers score EVERYTHING. This was way more terrifying with just natsound as it unfolded.
It's not a fucking crisis, it's driving, if you cannot assess the situation and act accordingly then you are risking the lives of everyone around you (I don't care about you, die quickly or screaming it's no biggie to me) and you shouldn't be on the road.
You are the sort of person that wants drunk drivers hung yet won't take responsibility for your own actions.
All the cars and trucks that ploughed into a stationary object on the highway were driving too fast for the conditions (this is negligence on the part of the drivers)
The last truck was driving within his abilities and that of his truck in the conditions, will he get a medal while the rest go to jail ?
No, will he fuck (they will get sympathy and a slot on the evening news, he will get a bollicking from his boss for being late (no crumpled truck. no excuse)
What message does that give to everyone else ?
They all had FL license plates.
They are all illegals who were given obuma licenses. First time they ever saw snow.
Since I drive a 2014 Harley Fat Bob, all you cagers are my worst enemy on the road...........no offense of course :).
stateside
"cagers",, I haven't heard that one before. I like it.
When on a bike.. US highways.. straight pipes (loud) high beams (on, all the time) yellow & orange helmet and driving 5-10Mph faster then cages.. You also need to have eyes in you ass..
What is wrong with drivers?
There is excellent long visibility from the camera..
terrible response times
Michigans should be expected winter drivers.
They all text or tv driving with speed control?
Where is Highway Enforcement?
I love the smell of good 'ol midwest boys driving stupid for the conditions, crashing, and dying. Complacency kills. The only person watching out for you is yourself. Always drive so you can stop in the distance you see: rain, snow, curves, darkness, etc.
Or better yet, don't drive, pull off at the exit and relax till conditions permit.
What the hell is wrong with these idiot drivers. You got snow on the road, less than optimum visbilility and there going 60 MPH? Then they sit in their cars, next to the road, where semis are flying down the stretch and wrecking one after the other. I did see one guy getting the hell away, that's good. Human level of stupidity never ceases to amaze.
The camera man needs to have his ass kicked for just sitting there and filming. He should of ran further ahead and at least tried to warn folks, but instead he films the wrecks happen then decides to help folks.
Hardly any traffic this weekend in LA because the roads were wet and there's a muslim in the white house.
krugman heartily approves of this accident
I drive along side and around these truckers every day on I 94 in Indiana. Them crazy fools are all high on biker-crank or worse, and driving hell bent for carnage. Especially thru Gary Indiana they make a bumper to bumper convoy while driving at or over the speed limit. They make it treacherous to change a lane to access your ramp.
To hell with you truckers. Bleed in a pile in the ditch you sons of satan. I'm sorry for the motorists that they take with them on their way to carnage. And don't give me no shit about a 'whiteout' either. If you can't tell what conditions that you are driving in, then get a job carrying the freight on your back.
As a native Michigander this driving is unacceptable. Also, you never, ever get out of your vehicle. If you cant stop in the space you can see in front of you it is unsafe and ignorant driving. Snow squalls in West Michigan can show up suddenly when it is really windy. I am really shocked by the driving of the truck drivers. It used to be the commercial drivers were the safest ones on the road. That clearly isnt the case here and because they sit so high up in the cabs of their trucks they can see much farther than those of us in a car or ute.
I once drove from Merrillville Indiana to Cincinnati Ohio in a blinding snow storm. My work commitments were such that I couldnt just pull off and get a room for the night. On the news the following morning after a 4 plus hour drive that took me 8 it was announced that the Highway Patrol had closed I 74 and made motorists sleep overnight in school gymnasiums. It is no fun driving in those conditions and reflectors are spaced so far apart that at times I didn't know if I was on highway or in cornfield. I did average about 30 miles per hour for the trip.
It is no fun driving in those condiditions but come on people. A little common sense would dictate better driving skills. Dumb and dumber on the road. Be careful out there,,, good weekend to all.
Been there, only it was to Oxford, not Cinti. Slow and steady, brake hard and you're forked.
What I notice in the vid is the median barrier, and while it might stop deliberate acts of oncoming mayhem, it's also an effective catch-net for cars. Is this a new thing?
My little '88 Prelude once did a nice pirouette into the median and right back out onto the freeway. I think the outcome might've been a lot worse than a ripped CV boot, these days.
Mario Andretti once said, "if everything seems under control, you aren't going fast enough."
and there you have it. most people on the road have no idea what they are doing, including professional drivers. it was amazing how many cars and tractor trialers didn't even brake going into the pile when there was clearly a coupla hundred yards visibility, more than enough time to stop from 60mph.
that is what happens when you drive with your eyes glued to the 100 feet in front of you instead of as far down the road as you can see whether you are in the city or the country.
It raises the question as to what level of risk is acceptable in our society. Are we adults that are responsible for our actions, or do we wet our pants and cry out for the governemnt to protect us and prevent the slightest dangers?
I live in a resort town with lots of snow and lots of visitors who've never dirven in it (Lake Tahoe). I can see 10's of cars stuffed into the berm on one trip to the grocery store. Driving in snow is tricky, one minute you have grip and can stop safely, the next minute there's ice under the snow and it's like you have no brakes at all and you skid for 100's of yards. You can't really tell until you hit the brakes. I have the best snow tires money can buy, and a good 4 wheel drive vehicle. I test my grip with firm stab to the brakes when I'm not sure and when no one is behind me, of course. And yet I could still get caught in one of those. A friend of mine driving intelligetnly stopped safely before a 12 car pile up, but was immedately rear ended into next week. Still can't work from the neck injuries.
Life is not safe. The government won't protect you. You HAVE to protect yourself, and even then you may run out of luck. Life is not safe: everybody dies in the end.
CB radios in trucks??
Stupid idiots who speed when they can't see. I live on a long country road. One foggy morning before daylight as I pulled to end of my drive way the paper delivery lady flashed her lights at me. I got out of my truck and she shouted to me that at the next driveway back a grey horse was standing in the road. Just then some goober in a compact pick-up zoomed by going that way as I waved my arms and the lady flashed her lights. A few seconds later, WHOMP, than in a few more seconds I hear a faint--hellllp! The paper lady turns around to go help him and I back up to my house and call 9-11. I tell my wife someone hit one of the neighbors horses, again, and leave for work. I look down the road and can see flashing lights. Do you know big horses have a lot of intestines?
you kents cant drive
I got whiplash just reading about it.
Vertical camera retard.
The fact that this is a neuroses of those under 35, that you even mention it, notice it, or care about it, says much more about you and society and the smartphone / dumbphone document-everything-addiction that is destroying social skills on a global level.
If or when, unfortunately when based on the current course, the SHTF we'll see plenty of people willing to help each other. They will have no ulterior motive, ill will or intent, hidden agenda or deceptive end game. There hearts will be pure. Not missing like the Tin Man
Thus if the meek shall truly inherit the earth they should be able to do far better than the heartless bull excrement here now. The same ones that proclaim their future as gods and currently temporarily run this space and time.
Remember if you try to stop them they have warned you that they will kill you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oZzrxugRsw
Didn't the Klingons call Capt. Kirk "a tin-plated overbearing, swaggering dictator with delusions of godhood." in the tribble episode ? Was there a reason that was in the script?
Did Richard Seed contribute to CERN? Did Richard See know Gene Roddenberry?
Let's expect that the Bible is probably right that the meek will inherit the earth. Right after the tin men with delusions of god-hood wipe themselves out due to their arrogance and ignorance
I learnt to drive in the snow on rural upstate New York mountain roads.
Took the family beater out to the local college parking lot at 16, spun it in circles for an hour until I understood.
Now, decades later, I don't drive in the snow.
Everyone else is too stupid, no one knows how to do it any more - even in places where they SHOULD like MI.
I stay home.
The country is becoming a nation of stupid, helpless, children that cannot do what teens could do pre-1980.
You know very well that today, all that spinning around would have gotten you a citation for reckless operation of a motor vehicle, a nice fine, points on your license and probably some juvenile probation to boot!
Studded snow tires rule.
Is "Darwinism at work" too cynical for this tragedy? Never drive faster than your angels can fly, or that that would allow you to stop within the visible distance, whichever is slower.
Reminds one of the scene from "Idiocracy" where Luke Wilson's character is looking out the window as cars are driving over the crest of a collapsed freeway overpass.
Or maybe we should all just sing along with Cool Hand Luke. "I don't care if it rains or freezes, I got me a plastic Jesus sitting on the dashboard of my car."