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The tornado chasers are 100% endangering others in their zeal to get close to a funnel cloud. When watching the footage they bring back, there is a level of excitement bordering on lust that they exhibit. As others have pointed out, it's surprising that it doesn't happen more often. They are so distracted, whipped up into such a froth you could see how a driver would miss a stop sign, considering that they are usually driving through blinding rain.
I get it, being a weather buff. Tornadoes are a display of the awesome forces of nature. But these storm chasers are putting the public in jeopardy. Any of them that cause an accident should not be able to use their hobby/occupation as an excuse, and should face the same penalties as someone who texts and drives. It's all distracted driving.
I would say not everyone doing this kind of activity are causing problems most likely only a few but many of these videos show people blasting through stop signs and passing slower traffic the real reason is because they want to make money on youtube posting their videos as more get posted less ROI they hope to get that one shot which sells. The community of storm chasers needs to get a handle on it and try to self govern the situation somehow I know it's a free country the best way to deal with this is through self governance. I'm not so concerned with those guys endangering oneself by getting to close I'm not in favor of a nanny state, but the ones who drive wreckless need to be stopped people share the road with these guys.
The tornado chasers are 100% endangering others in their zeal to get close to a funnel cloud. When watching the footage they bring back, there is a level of excitement bordering on lust that they exhibit. As others have pointed out, it's surprising that it doesn't happen more often. They are so distracted, whipped up into such a froth you could see how a driver would miss a stop sign, considering that they are usually driving through blinding rain.
I get it, being a weather buff. Tornadoes are a display of the awesome forces of nature. But these storm chasers are putting the public in jeopardy. Any of them that cause an accident should not be able to use their hobby/occupation as an excuse, and should face the same penalties as someone who texts and drives. It's all distracted driving.
This past weekend another tornado about three miles west of my home. As I was coming home we received alerts and saw the storm just west of us. Pulling off on the US 62 overpass to head home (which was away from the storm, fortunately) we saw quite a few people pulled off as well. Off the road, out of the way, see below, taken by my passenger as we came off 62. Some standing outside, some inside, maybe watching, maybe waiting for it to pass, no biggie. Until some moron with flashing red and white strobes in the grill and on the roof of his Ram comes smoking down the road, 50+ mph, almost hits someone, and proceeds to pass a vehicle on the overpass who is thinking about turning left (west) onto US 62, but is having second thoughts because of what she's seeing (again, see below). Did I mention he passed on the right shoulder? He has a StormWarn decal on his window, Texas plates, lots of antennas. And no regard for anyone on the road... that pic is so important. No different from a driver texting.
Where I learned to drive red and white (and now blue) strobes belonged to priority vehicles (fire, LEO, ambulance) but I guess I was wrong.
I believe those strobes are illegal except for official vehicles, including utilities trucks. And there's no way a private vehicle should have red and blue strobes, period. Could that particular truck have been an official vehicle?
I believe those strobes are illegal except for official vehicles, including utilities trucks. And there's no way a private vehicle should have red and blue strobes, period. Could that particular truck have been an official vehicle?
He was not official. Had TX personal plates (in Oklahoma).
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