You’re driving in Amarillo and pull up at an intersection with a light, say I-40 and Bell heading north by The Donut Stop. Someone wants to pull out from Erik or Enterprise Circle, and the lanes are backed up. Cars have left a gap, but the driver waiting at the stop sign can’t see anything coming south. One of the drivers behind the gap waves the car through, that driver goes and BAM, a wreck.
This happens all over Amarillo, all the time. Other busy intersections where situations like this occur are 34th and Coulter, 45th and Bell, I-40 and Soncy, and I-40 and Washington. Amarillo Police are reminding drivers about the dangers of what investigators call a “courtesy crash.”
Amarillo Police Warn Drivers About “Courtesy Crashes”
What is a “courtesy crash”? A crash occurs when a driver waves someone into traffic and unintentionally places them in danger.
Drivers are just trying to be polite by leaving a gap and then waving someone out, but the problem is they cannot see all the other lanes of traffic. The driver coming from the business lot just assumes it is safe. Another driver in a different lane may not see them, and the wreck ensues.
Why Waving Someone Into Traffic Can Be Dangerous
When it comes to traffic in Amarillo and visibility, we have to deal with multiple lanes, turning lanes, cars passing in the inside lane, and bigger vehicles blocking the view. So many factors come into play. That polite driver waving does not control the road. They are only giving permission from their lane and what they can see…