Anyone seen this pileup video? 2/15/19 in central Missouri

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y_p_w

y_p_w

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I guess this is everyone's fear driving in icy conditions. I've been in whiteout conditions before, but mostly everyone slowed down and kept a good distance. Here it looks like drivers panicked and might have been going too fast for the conditions. It looks like a lot of slammed brakes, which I thought wasn't terribly conducive to stopping well.
 
Originally Posted by Timo325
You can hear someone honking 3 short bursts continuously..


That is the car doing it -- when an accident is detected it makes that 3 pattern honk until emergency crews can come and disable it.
 
What is interesting but not surprising is the first sedan (?altima?) comes flying through with no headlights on. 2nd sedan (?toyota matrix/pontiac vibe?) has hazard lights on and no headlights.

During bad weather I see so many people with no lights on, saving a few cents on headlights I think?
 
Some people just will not drive accordingly when these conditions are present and then this is what happens. Too many people with the "well I know how to drive in ice and snow" attitiude. Same thing with something as simple as rain around here, people hydroplaning right and left.
 
All those vehicles probably had anti-lock brakes which means the computer was braking for them whether they slammed then on or not. On ice that feels like you have no brakes at all. (Ask me how I know). Everyone was just driving too darn fast including the professional truck drivers. Happens up here as well during the first icy conditions. Air bags would have certainly helped here. Hope for the best for those folks. Thanks for the post.
 
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Folks were going WAY too fast for the conditions. Ice + poor visibility + high speed = this scenario.

I'm not suggesting people have to slow to a snail's pace anytime the roads are slippery, but given the visibility, slow down so you have a least a fighting chance of stopping in time should something unexpected appear in front of you.
 
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
All those vehicles probably had anti-lock brakes which means the computer was braking for them whether they slammed then on or not. On ice that feels like you have no brakes at all. (Ask me how I know). Everyone was just driving too darn fast including the professional truck drivers. Happens up here as well during the first icy conditions. Air bags would have certainly helped here. Hope for the best for those folks.


You got it right there.
 
I live in Columbia Mo and it was pretty bad. Well, at least for the rear wheel drive SUV friend I helped get home. I had chains on my 99 eclipse lol. Thankfully I-70 was at A standstill so no deaths in the city. Not surprised at the video the way people drive around here. The $130 chains were well worth it when I got them a few years ago. One accident avoided and you've already made your money back. Although, only used them twice in 5 years.
 
Originally Posted by 99Eclipse
I live in Columbia Mo and it was pretty bad. Well, at least for the rear wheel drive SUV friend I helped get home. I had chains on my 99 eclipse lol. Thankfully I-70 was at A standstill so no deaths in the city. Not surprised at the video the way people drive around here. The $130 chains were well worth it when I got them a few years ago. One accident avoided and you've already made your money back. Although, only used them twice in 5 years.

I looked it up and apparently Missouri has no specific rules/laws on using chains. I occasionally drive in winter to parts of California/Nevada that get snow. I've driven in whiteout conditions and saw vehicles that were being pulled out. But we have specific chain conditions where chains and/or adequate all-season/winter tires may be required. AWD/4WD is factored into the chain rules, probably based on not getting stuck rather than being able to stop or steer. I'm not sure what the rules are on using chains outside of designated chain controls.

I still have chains in the trunk of my WRX for my last trip to Tahoe. I don't know if they'll ever come in handy at lower elevations. Even the freak icy conditions we get in the Bay Area never last more than a half day.
 
The main thing I worry about on those interstates when it's snowing is trucks. They may be able to see just fine but are always going way too fast to realistically stop fast. That and the fact that they often run in packs or so it seems. They may be great drivers but all it takes is the usual idiot in a car dodging in and out to cause a major wreck. 130,000 lbs slides forever on slick roads.
Of course if everybody would just slow down and spread out this sort of thing would be rare. As if that will ever happen. In weather like that you shouldn't be going over 40 - 45 MPH.
 
You can can go in snow. BUT........You cannot steer or stop..........unless you hit something to make you stop. Unbelievable.
 
Originally Posted by Reddy45
Originally Posted by Timo325
You can hear someone honking 3 short bursts continuously..


That is the car doing it -- when an accident is detected it makes that 3 pattern honk until emergency crews can come and disable it.



Here I thought someone was being smart about telling people they needed help. Thanks for informing me. I didn't know that.
 
I was in that same storm on an interstate on the other side of the city. Almost total whiteout... traffic was heavy and slow where I was. I saw lots of people going too fast and not paying attention... just like they do every time they get behind the wheel.

The news reported 47 cars and one fatality in that wreck.
 
Originally Posted by oldhp
You can can go in snow. BUT........You cannot steer or stop..........unless you hit something to make you stop. Unbelievable.

Certainly that's the case here, but I suppose winter tires, studs, or chains would probably help a bit with those. However, in these conditions there's no excuse for not slowing down. I don't have a whole lot of experience driving in those conditions, but the advice I remembered was to perform inputs (steering, accelerating, braking) gradually and one at a time.
 
Around my neck of the woods it's probably better that the freeway has closed. I mean - there's no driving in these conditions (I-80 35 miles west of Donner Pass):

[Linked Image]


The winter tourism economy isn't going to take it well. They usually want snow, but not when it means tourists can't drive in.
 
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