This is part of why I think Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing Transformed is much better than any of the Mario Kart games. Transformed's blue shell equivalent is the Swarm, which causes a large number of bees (more or less the same as MK's banana peels) to spawn directly in front of the player currently in first place.
A skilled player can avoid all the bees in the swarm, either through the use of items or by steering around, often at the cost of breaking a drift chain (players should be drifting at almost all times in Transformed).
Since the bees spawn in front of first place, they have the least time to react and thus they are most likely to get hit. Every player needs to drive through the bees, but as players collide with the bees there will be less left for those near last place. The swarm brings all players closer together, instead of just hindering the 1st/2nd place driver.
A skilled player can avoid all the bees in the swarm, either through the use of items or by steering around, often at the cost of breaking a drift chain (players should be drifting at almost all times in Transformed).
Since the bees spawn in front of first place, they have the least time to react and thus they are most likely to get hit. Every player needs to drive through the bees, but as players collide with the bees there will be less left for those near last place. The swarm brings all players closer together, instead of just hindering the 1st/2nd place driver.