How many of us have passed – without slowing down if not stopping our car – by a major accident site with Traffic police all over, two or more vehicles lying in a shambles, and the injured being taken care of by the ambulance staff?
Bad driving manners. What is so spectacular about a bad accident that you should be curious to “see it with your own eyes”? When you slow down to “take a look” at the dead or distressed parties involved in a road accident you are not being merely a voyeur but are also slowing down the traffic behind you.
You can imagine the state of the traffic in the aftermath of this second accident next to the one already under investigation which takes away from the drivers on that patch of the highway what little possibility they might be having of making it to their destinations in time. You have virtually blocked their road!
The point is that you must never stop or even slow down your vehicle to “take a look” at an accident site. The only time when it is valid, justified and to an extent even imperative on your part to properly stop close to a bad accident without further impeding traffic [i.e. parking, with hazard lights on, ahead or behind the affected vehicle/s, as close to the road divider as possible] is when the accident has just happened, almost within your sight so to say.
But even when stopping at that point of time you should remember you do not have to be a spectator; you must stop in the spirit of a helper. One you have stopped your vehicle, you should take a look at the state of the accident and the people involved and accordingly call an ambulance and inform the Traffic police.
You could also tray and revive the injured, offer them water if you have it with you in case the person in merely in shock and not injured. And try and provide first aid ONLY if you know the drill. Otherwise you must confine yourself to generally reassuring the traumatized or the injured that the Traffic police and the ambulance are on the way. If any of the affected persons are able to give you details, inform one of their families or friends as well.
But under no circumstances must you slow down or stop to “just see what’s happening”.