It happened again.

Last week, there was another accident directly outside my office at 3251 Bay to Bay Blvd. I didn’t get all the details, but it involved two SUVs and no one was seriously hurt.

It gave us all a jolt, though. The impact was loud, hard and fast, and the rest of traffic continued to speed around the marooned vehicles.

Some passing drivers even honked their horns, as if the victims were blocking traffic just to be obnoxious.

I don’t know what’s worse – that situation or the one I encountered on Bayshore Boulevard a few days later. I was driving southbound, coming up on a green light at Howard Avenue, but the cars in front of me kept slowing.

I couldn’t figure it out, until I glanced to my left across the median. In the northbound lanes, some kind of vintage pickup was crushed into a nearly unrecognizable state. The accident must have happened just a few moments earlier.

I have never understood rubbernecking, but it happens all the time. I see it a lot on I-4 when I’m headed over to Orlando. Whole long lines of cars can be slowed by one driver’s curiosity.

Personally, I think it’s rather morbid.

As motorists, we need to stay aware of our surroundings, but unless there is something I can directly do to help at an accident site, I keep out of the way and keep moving. The authorities know their jobs. Slowing and staring creates further traffic snarls and potential problems.

And really, what is there to look at?

Back to the accident on Bay to Bay – I know that compared to some South Tampa sites, this road doesn’t rate too high on the city’s crash-incident list. Surprising, but true.

From my perspective behind the wheel, Bay to Bay gets faster and more dangerous all the time. It’s become thick with a highway mentality, but it’s still just a four-lane road, one directly abutted by small businesses, sidewalks and even some front lawns.

I’m forced to take the boulevard because of work, but I use back routes and avoid it whenever I can.

Maybe I’m biased, but I think perhaps a traffic light at key positions, such as the Ferdinand Avenue intersection, could go a long way toward forcing slower speeds.

Meanwhile, we could all stand to be more cautious and a little nicer.

Lane closures
A few spots in downtown Tampa and Ybor City continue to experience lane closures due to interstate construction. If you commute through these areas, keep an eye out for the following holdups during the next few days:

* Two of three lanes will be closed on 21st Street from 19th Avenue to 13th Avenue between 6:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. through Thursday night (June 8). Two of three lanes will also be closed during the same times on 22nd Street from Seventh Avenue to 14th Avenue. Expect delays and watch for workers flagging traffic.

* For operational improvements on the I-4/I-275 interchange, Marion Street may be closed between Scott and Kay streets (under I-275) between 9 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. through Thursday night (June 8). Traffic will be detoured to Morgan Street.

* The exit ramps to Ashley and Doyle Carlton drives from westbound I-4 and southbound I-275 at Exit 45A may be closed between 10 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. through Thursday night (June 8). Traffic will be detoured to Jefferson Street.

Send rants and raves about South Tampa traffic to Mitzi Gordon at