Congestion

This morning, as I weaved in and out of clumps of SUVs and trucks and

Mustangs, I listened to the traffic report on NPR. The woman’s voice slide onto my speakers and reported a crash on 30-South, a wreck on 360 and a fatality wreck on 35W, taking up the two left lanes in a lip biting tone. I looked down at the radio display as she announced the last, and realized the simplicity in which she had described such a morbid event. A “fatality wreck on 35W, taking up the two left lanes.” She said it as if she were trying to get it out as quickly as possible without it catching up with her. A sugar coated way that struck me as strange as well, “fatality wreck.” As if she were really trying to blanket the horrible event in a language that most people would simply ignore without putting much stock in. That’s how accidents are described here, under different categories. They’re announced several times throughout the day, and tend to roll off the driver and onto the road to be kicked up by a fast moving semi and splattered across my windshield.

Traffic Terms in the DFW area:

Stalled Car – A car is sitting in a lane, not being moved, and the person driving said car is not doing anything to remedy the issue, hoping that the Texas Highway service patron, or whatever it’s called will come to their rescue.

Disabled Vehicle – The driver of the car is attempting to move the car onto a shoulder or an off ramp but is being blocked as he/she is probably in the center-most lane.

Car Fire – A car is on fire, probably on a shoulder, causing hundreds of drivers to slow down in the belief that their normal brisk driving-by would be rude or in some way cause the flames to grow. This usually happens in the summer.

Crash – Generally, two cars have collided and are taking up a single lane, waiting for the police to arrive and assist them.

Wreck – Two or more cars have crashed into each other at such a speed or angle as to scatter parts of each car across multiple lanes.

Fatality Wreck – Two or more cars have crashed, scattering debris across several lanes of traffic, and it is either believed or confirmed that a passenger or driver or more was killed.