Driving Home

We have taken a long drive north. Usually we take US95. But this year we decided to take US77 to US81.

We came across four accidents, three were on our side of the highway. The first accident left us crawling up the highway for over an hour and often we were simply stopped. This was horrible and we learned out lesson about how bad accidents messes up traffic. When we saw the second accident we pulled off the highway and bypassed the accident with a back road. When we came along the third accident, we pulled off to eat in a small town which gave the emergency crews time to react. The fourth accident was going the other direction, seemed to have traffic backed up for ten miles. We heard from a waitress in a restaurant that accidents on the highway happen everyday.

It amazes me how a car accident can halt one of the nation's major arteries. Not only are vacationers using this road, but also tractor trailers hauling merchandise and army hauling military equipment. It would seem we could do something better.

There are two problems: first, there aren't very many exists, so, the exits are many miles apart. Accidents are usually a long ways away from any exit from which emergency crews could respond. Second, since the road cuts through the blue ridge mountains, the medians are usually impassable. Therefore the emergency crews can't drive up on the opposite side nor cut through. They must fight through the backed up traffic in order to get to the accident scene. If you are in an accident on US77 or US81, you could be sitting there (possibly injured) for a very long time. We can do better! I have been watching a TV show about air paramedics in the Afghan war. If there was a problem, these guys fly to it. If we can do that in Afghanistan, why can't we do that here?

The first responders could drop nearby via ropes to take control of the situation and stop traffic long enough to get the helicopter to land on the road so that patients can be loaded.

I would make the following two priorities: 1. Protect life. 2. Get the traffic moving again.

Once the helicopter is gone, the first responders begin clearing debre by pushing as much as possible into the median in advance of the tow truck arrival.

Think about the cost associated with stopping a major transportation artery in the United States! The cost of loss commerce could easily pay for this service. And think of all the lost energy and increased polution caused by having a backup stretch for miles of idling vehicles.

The helicopter could cost around $6M, and would bill $8500 to insurance companies for medical transport. If used only once daily it could pay for itself in just a couple of years.

Accident survivors would get better medical care. Accidents would get cleared faster. And traffic accidents would have a smaller impact. Everyone wins! And... We could get to Disney sooner