Accident scenes — especially when spotted on major roadways like the QE II — can be compelling for people driving by, so many will take photos with their cellphones.
Olds fire Chief Justin Andrew says don't do that — for many reasons, not the least of which is preserving the dignity of those at the scene, including the deceased, if one or more fatalities are involved.
"You can imagine that, if we're standing on the side of the highway or in a public space, how difficult it is for us to try to shield and protect the dignity of the deceased and the families that might be involved," Andrew told a crowd of students attending a mock collision May 1 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"This is a big piece where we encounter this more and more all the time with social media. We have what we call in the business, rubberneckers. People are driving by that want to see," he said.
"It is very common to see people driving by in their vehicle with their cellphone out, trying to videotape it or take pictures of it and then we find out it's actually been posted to social media within seconds of that.
"Can you imagine if you found out that one of your family members or a close friend was killed because you saw it on social media through a Facebook post or Instagram or Snapchat or something to that effect?
"So that's the one thing that we want to try to raise awareness (about) too is that fact that, you know, just because you have a device that can capture photos or videos doesn't necessarily mean that that's a great idea," he added.
