This video of a road accident in Russia is stunning. The accident was caused by a cyclist, car, and truck all simultaneously breezing through an intersection. It is amazing that not only was the cyclist not killed by either the car or the truck, but that he recovered quickly enough that he got up off the ground and went to the aid of the truck driver trapped in the cab of the overturned truck.
Mano Singham
Just another Freethought Blogs site
It’s incredible how clearly you can see what’s going on in the cab of the truck as it tips over. I guess the driver wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, because he’s been thown all the way to the other side of the cab.
A friend who went there for research a few years ago reported that he spent the entire time in Russia terrified of the wild behavior and complete disregard for safety he saw on the Russian roads. He attributed the lack of safety to a combination of deeply ingrained alcohol consumption, a half dozen shots of vodka during lunch was not considered excessive, and a profound fatalism where even the worse tragedies elicit a shrug and a sigh.
Rumor is that lousy driver behavior, after becoming an international video laughing stock, may have gotten the government ‘s attention and triggered a crack down but Russia is a very large country, there is a general disrespect for authority, and the behaviors are deeply rooted in the Russian psyche. It might take a few decades for any effort to change things.
On the other hand, I suspect that the difference between US and Russian drivers and their behavior is a mater of degree and not kind. Blowing through intersections and sweeping across three or four lanes are, unfortunately, not so rare as to be a novelty.