Arctickat Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 So, I've been watching a local storm chaser do his thing around the province and I thought to myself, "What this guy needs is Emergency Vehicle status." Seeing as how he's speeding all over these storms and blowing through stop signs to get in front of the storm cells and tornadoes I figure his life would be much easier if the casual driver on the road could actually identify him and maybe even yield the ROW to him. Remember, we don't have elaborate early warning or siren systems for tornados for our communities...these newly developed chasers are the best option we currently have. What I'm wondering from my friends in Tornado Alley, do your storm chasers down there have emergency vehicle status which would permit them to use lights and sirens when they're chasing a storm. I know, it smacks of whackerism, but I think it would be safer to regulate these guys and give them lights so that the casual driver has at least some sort of warning that they're coming. Right now there is nothing and every whack job in the country with a mobile internet connection is jumping onto the bandwagon with a live stream video of their storm chasing. My feeling is that they need to be regulated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Plain Ruff Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 No they do not have emergency vehicle status, they think they do and they often when they get in their ZONE(think sarcasm) cause some sort of traffic accident. They are not all like the crazy idiots in Twister or what you see in the WEather channel where they get all crazy or bugged out when the big tornado comes at em and they go all buggy and goo goo eyed. Most chasers, sanctioned by universities don't act like idiots. But it's not those that are the ones who get all willy nilly and get a TV show. Plus it's not those who get sucked up in the vortex of the Dorothy tornadoes. The ones who get all buggered up by the hail and the tornadoes are the ones who don't have a clue what to really look out for in these super dangerous storms and they are the ones who are copy catting the real professional chasers and they are the ones who get hurt, maimed or killed. They are the ones who hunker down in their cars when the tornado gets too close because they didn't have an exit strategy when mr f5 gets too close and their car goes skttering across the highway and comes face to face with the tree lines. Thay are the ones who we see in the ER with multiple lacerations when the windows blow out because they stayed a little too long in the storm and the hail came out and busted their windows out and they realized that glass does cut their face. It's the amateurs we have to worry about mainly. At least the pros most of the time have the sense to come in when it's getting to dangerous. WEll most of the time. Tell that to Carey Elwes character in Twister. He hit the ground pretty hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFIB Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 I was in East Texas last week and heard the radio news warning listeners to "Beware of storm chasers" on the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B the EMT Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 If storm chasers are proceeding through red signal lights and stop signs without stopping, they are just as dangerous as both regular drivers, and Emergency vehicle drivers who do so. LEO? Ticket that jerk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B the EMT Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 The ones who get all buggered up by the hail and the tornadoes are the ones who don't have a clue what to really look out for in these super dangerous storms and they are the ones who are copy catting the real professional chasers and they are the ones who get hurt, maimed or killed. Even the "Professional" chasers can get hurt, maimed, or killed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Plain Ruff Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I didn't mean to imply they cannot. But the amateurs are the ones who don't take many of the safety measure in hand and they often go out with a cooler in hand of alcoholic beverages. The pros at least will really try harder to make their journeys safer. Just like we have the ricky rescues, they have the ricky chasers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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