Another Major Iterstate Accident in FL...wonder why????!!!!!
 

I don't think anybody is surprised by yet another multiple vehicle accident on one of FL's major highways.

Fog....smoke...low visibilty...mix these ingredients with the usual way to fast speeds....the young who think they are invincible when behind the wheel....the elders who have earned the right to go as fast or slow as they want in any lane they want....add in a pinch of total lack of courtesy.....topped off with the usual lack of enforcement.....

wah-lah....another highway mishap.

I tell visitors if they are evr involved in an accident on the highways and are not injured to get out of their cars and wait on the side of the road for when ever the police arrive. I know some will say it is safer to stay in the vehicle....yup....ask any of the ones in today's wreck what they would do next time.

FL is by far one of the most beautiful states in the USA....and has the most dangerous highways.

Want another example? Where else have you lived where vehicles fly off the road into buildings/houses/etc? It is another almost daily occurance here in FL.

Enforcement! Enforcement! Enforcement. That is the answer to slowing things down and of course the lack of it is obvious.

My $.95 (that is two cents adjusted for the time lost waiting in stopped traffic on FL highways!!)

There I feel a little better now.

BTK ???

Re: Another Major Iterstate Accident in FL...wonder why????!!!!!
 

:agree: :agree: :agree:

It is true what you say about not staying in the vehicle, but I need to add one caution. If the accident occurs at night know where you are going.

A dear son of one of our friends followed his parents instructions when he was in an accident. He stepped over a railing, what he did not know, and there were no warning signs, that there was nothing on the other side of the railing.

I do not recall how many feet he fell to his death.

Just a word of caution.

Hyacinth Bucket

Re: Another Major Iterstate Accident in FL...wonder why????!!!!!
 

This pile-up was at 5 a.m. on a Wednesday after a long school break so I doubt if that many teens were involved.

Several accidents involving teens trying to beat trains on the railroad crossings have occurred near the same area of FL as this 70 vehicle wreck, but I will bet these happen all over the country as well.

Re: Another Major Iterstate Accident in FL...wonder why????!!!!!
 

From what I understand, two of those killed were ones who got out of their vehicles. This was, however, from a news report this morning where there were lots of rumors and not much facts. However, there was little question that many of the injured were ones who had gotten out of their vehicles.

You should stay in your vehicle unless there is a danger of fire. If there's a chance of fire, get out of your car. If possible, move your car to the shoulder. You have little chance when it comes to a vehicle vs. body, especially if the vehicle is going highway speeds.

Re: Another Major Iterstate Accident in FL...wonder why????!!!!!
 

For the most part i agree with Red. But if the visibility is good and you need to pull over (wait for tow etc.) then get to the right on the shoulder and, if safe, go stand over (way over) to the right in the woods or grass.

Any other situation and I'm staying in my steel cage!

Re: Another Major Iterstate Accident in FL...wonder why????!!!!!
 

Russ, you're absolutely right. I'm used to California freeways where there rarely is an option to get much further away from the road than the shoulder, but if you can see what's happening, can safely get out (preferably on the passenger side) and can get a good distance away from your car, DO IT!

Re: Another Major Iterstate Accident in FL...wonder why????!!!!!
 

Unless there are hungry gators around. Would not want to get into the swamp near Alligator Alley.

Also, being in a Humvee would be a better proposition than if you were in a Mini-Cooper.

Re: Another Major Iterstate Accident in FL...wonder why????!!!!!
 

I try really hard to stay out of circumstances (like driving at night with fog,etc) where visibility is poor.

Re: Another Major Iterstate Accident in FL...wonder why????!!!!!
 

It amazed me in California, it amazed me driving cross-country, it amazes me here -- people can't seem to comprehend that you drive according to conditions. You don't do 80 when it is pouring down rain (well, some do and that be the problem). You don't go speeding over bridges when it is cold. You slow down when you start hitting fog because you never know when it will become dense fog and you sure as heck slow down (safely, not slamming on your brakes) when you hit a patch of dense of fog. If people drove with some common sense rather than worrying about where they are going, there would be a few less accidents.

From the description of this accident, there really wasn't any warning that visibility would go from good to non-existent and the fault probably was the fire that got out of control. I do wonder why there weren't any signs up well before hitting this area warning of possible visibility problems -- doesn't the FHP, etc. know that smoke + mild fog = tule fog? Some warning might have saved a life and property damage.

Re: Another Major Iterstate Accident in FL...wonder why????!!!!!
 

I will bet that some of these vehicles were going way past 75mph. Even in the middle of the day, I have seen cars and trucks on roads very similar to this one where the wreck was which have 60% or more of the vehicles going well over the speed limit. At this time in the morning 5 am, some of these vehicles were probably doing 95 or so.

I would have been going 40 in such conditions and would have been a road hazard by doing so.

Re: Another Major Iterstate Accident in FL...wonder why????!!!!!
 

Tal, from what I gathered from the news you wouldn't have been doing 40 unless you normally do 40 mph on a freeway. It sounded like it was clear one second and then no visibility the next. One of the first involved in the accident was a State trooper.

Re: Another Major Iterstate Accident in FL...wonder why????!!!!!
 

You all have missed the point I was making.
In the event of a multi vehicle accident.....I would not sit in the car to wait and see what happens next!

This is FL and I gurantee that with the low visibility people were driving too fast....

I agree with all the controlled situation pull to the side of the road and so on....but when it is foggy and you have just run into somebody and you are still in the running lanes.....and want to survive....GET OUTTA DA CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If many of the people were not already out of their cars they would have been seriously injured when the subsequent rammers and jammers arrived!!!

FL the land of sunshine and drive too fast, get outta my way speed nuts.

BTK

Re: Another Major Iterstate Accident in FL...wonder why????!!!!!
 

Definitely get out of the vehicle and move away from the area.

Re: Another Major Iterstate Accident in FL...wonder why????!!!!!
 

Speaking of State Troopers.....Where were they.........How come they didn't show up until the carnage was done....
there should have been patrol car with lights flashing at both ends of this mess..........If the troopers had been on top of this , some people would be alive today.. When will the State of Florida wake up and put radios in their patrol cars........If had lost a loved one in this disaster I would be marching on the Capitol.......
a ticked off Fumar

Re: Another Major Iterstate Accident in FL...wonder why????!!!!!
 

That stretch of I-4 is rather desolate, and folk tend to open it up there. Combine that with I-4 now being undersized for the traffic volume now occurring between Orlando & Tampa. So, while tragic, that such an event happened is not surprizing.

Personally, I can't blame the State Troopers. They can't be everywhere, or responsible for other people doing dumb things. The real responsibility lies with the ones who caused the event, not those trying to prevent it.