- Video shows the Grapevine, where drivers noticed an increase in traffic.
- The community takes to social media, sharing their experience with the traffic and naming it "Carmageddon"
- Sergeant Karr with CHP offers advice on how to stay safe on the road.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Locals are nicknaming the traffic along the I-5 “Carmageddon,” after the so-called mega closure of the 405 freeway more than a decade ago.
As winter gets closer and closer, sadly, the number of accidents along a stretch of I-5 over the Grapevine starts to go up.
Sergeant Michael Karr with the California Highway Patrol in Fort Tejon said, “People are trying to get everywhere in a hurry. So just abide by the laws and slow down and get to your destination safely.”
Sergeant Karr says that over the past years, CHP has seen an increase in accidents on the interstate.
Earning the name “Carmageddon,” locals in the mountain communities take to social media to share their concerns about distracted drivers.
“Distracted driving where people are kind of looking down at their phones and they look up and they get scared and freak out right away and then they jerk their steering wheel one way or the other and it turns into a big mess,” Karr said. “And as we can see, it affects a lot of people.”
From sending a quick text to eating behind the wheel, CHP reminds drivers that even the smallest actions can have major consequences.
Sergeant Karr calls it the domino effect. He said, “Your actions affect other actions, so please don’t be that person that affects everybody else from a small extent to a huge extent.”
While there’s no snow or ice just yet, officials are preparing for unruly weather.
“Just be aware, it’s coming. It’s definitely coming,” Karr said. “I don’t know what the El Nino season is bringing yet. We’re starting to ramp up all of our snow operations.”
To get ahead of the curve, CHP recommends checking Google maps as well as their website.
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