gapers' block
noun1
Canada, US, Idiomatic A traffic jam resulting from motorists slowing to look at a motor vehicle collision or other roadside distraction.
- In the lingo of the traffic reporters, "gapers' block" is a tie-up caused by motorists slowing down to gape at an accident.1967 March 10, “Above It All”, in Time:
- In the pretty, tranquil valley, elk were feeding just off the highway, creating a gapers block.2001, "Rocky Road Rocky Mountain National Park boasts as ear-popping drive full of peak experiences," Wichita Eagle (Kansas), 25 Mar., p. 1G
- Related terms
- rubbernecking, train wreck