The topic we are going to talk about now is a vital and rather sad one. Why? Because we are talking about head-on collisions - accidents that today most often take the lives of innocent people or endow a person with a disability. And, as usual, all the blame falls on the shoulders of one of the participants traffic- in rare cases, such accidents happen due to an “unknown force”. In any accident, there are culprits. But if we talk about small incidents on modern roads, then this is not so bad, but a head-on collision is a real disaster, tragedy, horror, misfortune (for some, even a universal scale).
Therefore, before you continue reading this chapter, I would like to ask you for one small favor: Read everything that follows with the utmost care! Take everything said seriously. After all, if you learn all the information from this chapter, then in the future you will be able to save the lives of not only yourself and your loved ones, but also other people who are also road users and, just like you, do not plan to prematurely leave the “other world”.
"Read everything that will be written below with special care"
To realize the seriousness and urgency of the problem, you can take a break from reading and go to youtube. Enter on the site in the search bar "head-on collision". See how many crash videos are stored on this site. Turn on a few of them. I am ready to assure you that you will be impressed and will cling to reading this chapter, that neither your spouse, nor your husband, nor your parents, nor your children will be able to tear you away from the book.
It's all to blame...
Well? Have you watched a couple of videos? Yes? How are the impressions? Terrible, right? Yes, and indeed the spectacle is not for the faint of heart. And be in similar situation you probably don't want to. Therefore, to begin with, before moving on to the main part, in which we will consider ways to avoid frontal collision, it is worth paying attention to the causes of an accident of this kind.As in most accidents, the cause of a head-on collision is the rash actions of the driver and violation of traffic rules. And many car owners violate today, despite the fact that serious penalties are now applied to violators, up to deprivation driving license or imprisonment (if serious accidents fatal).
I would like to note that at night, a head-on collision occurs due to fatigue and drowsiness of drivers. Many motorists like to drive on night roads, but for some reason they really don’t bother to sleep. Of course, if a person works as a trucker, then you can’t argue against the authorities - he doesn’t care whether you got enough sleep today or not, and you will have to go on a night flight. But after all, many amateur drivers own will go on night trips. And this is where tragedy happens. night road.
"... the cause of a head-on collision is the rash actions of the driver and violation of traffic rules"
As an example, we can cite a standard situation that is repeated on the roads every day. The driver, naturally, having not really slept during the day, goes about his business along the night road. He is tired during the day, he wants to sleep terribly, but he has a business that is urgent and he needs to solve it, not only in the morning, but also do it in another city - a conference, a meeting of entrepreneurs or just a gathering of motorists. In general, the reasons for such a trip do not interest us at all. The focus is on the road and driver fatigue.
And so, the driver calmly moves along the road, sometimes he adds gas to get to his destination early and have time to “nap” for at least a couple of minutes, but drowsiness takes over. The eyes close on their own, the hands relax, and the car gradually moves into the oncoming lane. And there, as luck would have it, a truck is coming towards us, and a loaded one, too. The truck driver honks at a car moving in the forehead and does not even realize that the person driving this car has fallen asleep. The result is a head-on collision.
Immediately I would like to explain why the "manager". Because when the driver fell asleep at the wheel, he simultaneously stopped driving the car. The person is just sleeping. What kind of conscious control can we talk about?
However, do not think that "fell asleep at the wheel" is the only cause of head-on collisions. You can also meet head-on due to an elementary skid on slippery road. And it doesn't have to be a snowy or icy road. A small downpour is enough to significantly wet carriageway. But if skidding becomes the cause of a head-on collision, then only for another reason - a violation speed limit on a certain section of the road. It is speeding that becomes the main culprit of any serious accident. For example, on a slippery road, it can skid if the driver is driving on a rounded road with high speed or recklessly overtakes or avoids an obstacle.
“It is speeding that becomes the main culprit of any serious accident”
Another common cause of a frontal collision is blindness. high beam. Probably every experienced driver faced this problem. Agree that the first time, as soon as the rights were obtained and purchased own car you sometimes forgot to switch the light. It was, it was and should not be denied. Don't deceive yourself. How a head-on collision occurs in such situations, for sure, does not need to be explained, since it is not difficult to imagine it - the same as driving a car with your eyes closed (figuratively speaking).
The next reason is maneuvering in conditions limited visibility. Limited visibility can be understood as thick fog, heavy rain or snowfall, smoke from the road from fires in peat bogs, etc. On this occasion, you can once again review the chapter on driving in fog, where everything is described in detail on how to behave on the road in poor visibility.
Reckless overtaking is another reason for the “headache”. By the way, this reason today is one of the main culprits of head-on collisions. And the birth of this cause begins with licentiousness and inexperience modern drivers(especially beginners).
Not everyone dies
Although a head-on collision is one of the most serious types of accidents, not everyone suffers from an accident. Most of all goes to the driver and front passenger. Passengers behind can get off with bruises, abrasions, fractures or concussion - but they will live, definitely. But the people sitting in front, in a head-on collision, usually either die immediately or in the hospital due to injuries. And this is despite the fact that the engineers of modern automakers are trying in every possible way to increase the safety performance of new cars. But so far no one has managed to come up with a car that is completely safe in all respects.Passengers in the rear pose a particular danger to the driver and front passenger. It is so accepted in many countries that a person sitting in the back seat of a car does not have to wear a seatbelt security. And in the event of a head-on collision, the passengers sitting in the back lean with all their weight on the driver and passenger in front. It is worth noting that upon impact, the human body moves forward by inertia (i.e., in the direction in which the car was moving). And at the time of the collision, the body weight of the passengers sitting behind increases several times. On this topic, the Swedes came up with something like a playful warning: you are driving behind an elephant! Of course, "elephant" should not be taken literally.
"... so far no one has managed to come up with a car that is completely safe in all respects"
You probably thought that with a windshield, the driver mainly suffers, and the passengers sitting behind receive only minor and life-threatening injuries? Not really. An unfastened person sitting in the back seat in an accident can fly out through any broken car window. Not infrequently, in a head-on collision, a passenger with rear seat appeared on the hood of the car / it.
How to avoid a head-on collision?
And so, we figured out the main causes of the accident. We also talked about who suffers the most with lobovukha. Now it’s worth moving on to solving the main issue that interests millions, and maybe billions of drivers around the globe. Every driver wants to be in control. And although at first glance everything seems so difficult and unbearably complicated, however, learning to avoid a head-on collision is not so difficult. Moreover, the methods are so simple, and the solution to the problem is banal, that at the end of reading this part of the chapter you will be extremely surprised. You will definitely think about: “Why don’t I do all this and don’t even remember such simple rules? But I knew all this, once.The problem of a modern person, in our case a driver, is that in a day he will receive a huge, sometimes even excessive amount of information that “interrupts” memory - really necessary things are forgotten. So now, before continuing to read, take a piece of paper, a pen, or open Notepad on your computer and write down whatever you see fit. There is no point in pointing fingers at you and saying, “Write this…and this…and this,” there is no point. Therefore, decide for yourself what is really important to you and mark it in a way that is convenient for you.
And so, in order to avoid a head-on collision, you must first of all observe the speed limit. Separately, I would like to pay attention to country roads and expressways. The fact is that it is on such sections of the road that the lobovuha is most dangerous. The danger is expressed in high speed traffic flows of cars. The higher the speed, the more severe the consequences of a head-on collision. Therefore, it is advisable to get rid of recklessness forever, and move along the roads only at the speed that is allowed. road signs and traffic rules.
Always Consider weather. Do not overtake in dense fog, when visibility is limited to only a few meters, in heavy snowfalls, heavy ice or with a "wall" of heavy rain. Do not hurry. It is better to drive calmly and wait until the weather conditions and visibility on the road stabilize. Only then can you overtake - do not forget to make sure that the maneuver is safe for all road users.
“The higher the speed, the more severe the consequences of a head-on collision”
Also, do not count on luck when overtaking. As it was said in one of the previous chapters, thoughts like “I will succeed! I'll ride!" must leave your brain forever. Forget to even think about it. And if such a thought only appears in your head, crack your palm on your forehead - let's go and fly out of the brain. If you see that you are obviously not on time, then do not even try to overtake - wait for the right moment. And, of course, remember the famous phrase: "I'M NOT SURE, DO NOT OVERTAKE!!!".
Before turning, always slow down at a curve in the road. Pass any rounding keeping to the curb on the right. Never try to pass such a section of the road by pressing against the median strip. Remember: "Any turn, rounding of the roadway requires a decrease in speed!".
Pay attention to the behavior of other road users. For example, if the driver of an oncoming car fell asleep at the wheel, then you will immediately notice this - the oncoming car will slowly slowly cross the median lane or move into a ditch. If you notice this in advance, then you can save yourself from a head-on collision by stopping or avoiding the impact. In addition, you can nervously "beep" - suddenly the driver who has fallen asleep will wake up and be able to prevent an accident.
Do not get behind the wheel very tired and sleepy. Otherwise, there is a possibility that the culprit terrible accident it will be you - well, if you are still alive. Get enough sleep and only then hit the road.
It was inevitable
No matter how sad it may be, it is not always possible to avoid a head-on collision. Therefore, every driver should be prepared in advance for an impact and know how to behave in case a terrible accident is about to happen.The first step is to try to slow down as quickly as possible. You can do this with a pedal and a handbrake, and in general, all at once. The main thing here is to stop quickly. The slower your speed, the easier the hit will be. But all actions in this situation should be taken only when there is still enough distance to the oncoming car.
If the collision is going to be fast, the first thing to do is quickly take your feet off the pedals and move them closer to the seat. Thus, you exclude the possibility of serious injuries and fractures of the lower extremities.
“The slower your speed, the easier the hit will be”
If possible, crouch toward the front passenger seat so that you are facing down and below level. windshield. This is necessary so that the fragments and parts of the car that fly in through the broken window do not damage you. Most drivers die in a head-on collision precisely because of injuries received by a fragment of a car or glass fragments.
Be sure to buckle up seat belt. If you see that an accident is imminent and you forgot to buckle up, then do it immediately and as soon as possible so that you have time to do the actions described above.
There is one more piece of advice that helps to avoid a frontal impact, which it would seem impossible to avoid. However this way will not help to completely avoid an accident. The method itself includes the following steps:
In the event of an inevitable head-on collision, you should try to turn the steering wheel to the right, so that the oncoming car hits you tangentially into the sidewall of the car. That is, simply put, you must substitute your side, but at the same time not allow a direct blow to it, but only a sliding (tangential) one.
And in conclusion, I would like to say that if you already decide to dodge a frontal impact, then always turn the steering wheel to the right. Remember: In the event of a head-on collision, turn the steering wheel only to the right! After all, the oncoming driver can come to his senses at the very last moment. And where do you think it will turn? Naturally, to your own lane, which is located on the left side in relation to you.
As you can see, all the recommendations to prevent a frontal collision are simple and doable. The main thing is to remember everything, write it down and occasionally remember or read your notes - you marked it in your Notepad or on a piece of paper important points? Let's hope YES!
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What causes severe road accidents? Can a tragic collision be avoided? Here are some tips from the pros.
Any country road is dangerous- in particular, gradual accustomed to speed.
If you drive for a long time on a lightly loaded road, relaxation comes from monotonous driving - and the reaction time increases significantly. If the average time of a complex reaction - in a situation where you need to make an immediate decision - is 1.5 seconds, then with prolonged relaxed driving it will increase to 4 seconds.
Maneuvering
If the driver who starts a maneuver does not warn about it in advance, he provokes other participants into sudden movements, the expert explains. - And even if, for example, he turned on the “turn signal” in advance, then the driver of only one car following directly behind him sees his signals. She abruptly goes to the side - and the third car sees an unexpected obstacle in front of it.
Therefore, according to experts, it is necessary to always pay attention to the signs - and be especially careful before road crossing or adjoining a secondary. Moreover, try to see the situation on the road not only through your windshield, but through the glass of the car in front. Another thing is if your car is driving behind an SUV, truck, wagon - it is very important to keep as much distance as possible. The actions of this driver are absolutely unpredictable for us - he sees an obstacle that is invisible to us, and brakes sharply.
Unexpected obstacle in the lane
On the road, simple, potentially dangerous, extreme and emergency situations. That is, in the latter case, we do not discuss how to avoid accidents, is, unfortunately, inevitable. And most importantly - choose the least of many evils. For example, if we compare head-on collision And exit to the ditch, then the latter is safer.
Regarding the opinion that "better" to crash into ahead parked car than fly into the opposite direction.
If the turning car has its wheels already turned to the left - and most drivers turn with their wheels turned - the impact will throw it to the left. oncoming lane. That is - the same difficult thing will happen car accident, but with other participants, - says the expert.
And he remembers how, as a result of such accidents Russian actor Yuri Stepanov died two years ago. A Mazda crashed into a Zhiguli standing at a traffic light, in which he was traveling as a passenger, at speed. From the impact, the VAZ was thrown into the oncoming lane, where the car collided with another car.
Is it worth turning right?
The driver, according to professionals, must constantly scan the situation around the car, understand every second what is happening to the right / left, and pre-evaluate the potential probability maneuver. Because when he suddenly finds an obstacle in the lane, he may not have time to look in the mirrors.
Suppose everyone is lucky - there are no cars on the right. The car will go around the obstacle, the person behind the wheel will get off with a slight fright. If someone is moving on the right, the driver, who has sharply turned in his direction, will push this car off the track, it fly into a ditch, possibly tip over. People will get hurt again. And God forbid this happens in the city, and the car that was driving along the way will be thrown to a stop from the impact public transport?..
Brake or not?
The expert advises: theoretically, if there is at least some possibility, you need to slow down.
On the other hand, if the speed is very high, hard braking can also lead to backfire. For example, in courses extreme driving work out the exit from the skid at a speed of 60 km / h - that is, with hard braking even on the "urban" speed brings the car! At 70 km/h everything goes even faster and the car is even more difficult to control. A driver who does not know how to get out of extreme situations on the road cannot do anything with it, the car becomes uncontrollable.
If a car takes off head-on
According to the expert, it is unrealistic to predict what a driver will do when an oncoming car enters his lane.
Unfortunately, there are situations when the driver does not have time to do something - he does not have time to think. If an oncoming car swept into your lane in a split second, there is no chance of avoiding a collision. If you see this in advance, then there is time for maneuvers, but even here you can make a mistake. For example, a driver is driving and sees that a car is leaving the oncoming lane in his lane. He beeps, flashes - the car is still going towards. To avoid a collision, our driver decides to turn left - to a free (!) oncoming lane. At this moment, the driver of an oncoming car, who has fallen asleep at the wheel, wakes up, realizes that he on the opposite side, and turns back into its lane. There is a head-on collision.
Automobile
Traffic Laws tell us: in case of danger, the driver must take speed reduction measures up to a complete stop of the car. So slow down or maneuver?
In a passing collision when moving forward, the driver and passengers are saved by airbags and a seat belt, - says the specialist. - This is the blow that is predicted by manufacturers, calculated when designing a car. That is, all security systems are "sharpened" precisely under frontal collision with an obstacle. Hood, engine compartment- This is the crushed part of the car that dampens the impact. Motor in modern machines with such an impact, it should structurally go down, and not into the cabin. The belt holds the driver, the airbag "accepts" it.
If we start maneuvering, most likely a side impact will occur.
What protects the driver in this case? Tin door. All. Side airbags, if present, are only effective for minor impacts. Compare the "nose" of the car, which should "rescue" in a collision with a frontal obstacle, and a tin that will take a hit in the side, the expert advises. Even in motorsport, according to him, people most often die - on rally frame machines! - from side impacts.
Undoubtedly, any accident is an extremely unpleasant incident, which often ends in tragedy. However, no matter how much the parties would like to quickly forget everything, in any case, it is necessary to identify the culprit and assess the damage caused. The correct classification of the type of accident and the reconstruction of the overall picture of events, part of which is the speed of both cars, can help in performing such a task.
Calculation of speed, and how a head-on collision occurs
Many motorists believe that when two cars collide head-on, their speeds are summed up, and final result will be the same as in the case of a collision of one car at a total speed against a concrete wall.
That is, suppose that two Vehicle and before the collision they were moving at a speed of 65 km / h each, but will this mean that one such car crashing at a speed of 130 km / h into a concrete wall will receive the same damage as the cars in the previous version? Do speeds add up in a head-on collision? Let's try to understand this issue.
In a collision of vehicles, everything happens literally in a matter of seconds, during which each of the cars is deformed or completely destroyed. The main factors influencing the force of destruction are the design of the machines and their speed, and the impact impulse acts along the line of impact. The direction of this line during the collision depends on the direction and speed of movement of the two bodies. If the vehicles were moving different speeds, then the line of impact will pass at a smaller angle with respect to the axis of the machine moving at a higher speed.
At the same time, considering the collision of a vehicle with an obstacle, two subsequent stages can be distinguished in this process: moment of contact(counted until the moment of closest approach) and moment of vehicle movement, which lasts until the separation of the cars. The first stage is characterized by a partial transition of the kinetic energy of motion into potential thermal energy, elastic deformation energy, etc. With the beginning of the second stage, the resulting potential energy of deformation is again transformed into the kinetic energy of the vehicle. If we are talking about inelastic bodies, then the impact will end already at the first stage.
Even if we assume that the car was moving at a low speed, its kinetic energy will be quite large, and hitting a stationary wall with a large mass will lead to the absorption of all its energy. The strong and rigid wall is almost not deformed.
Of course, it cannot be said that hitting a stone wall will be completely identical to the collision of two identical cars. Eg, if one vehicle is moving faster than the other, then the total energy released during the collision will be less than that in the previous case. More light car or a vehicle traveling at a slower speed will receive more energy than they had before the collision. That is, when figuring out whether the speed is summed up in a head-on collision, it is necessary to understand that it is not this indicator that needs to be added, but the impulses - a combination of speeds and masses.
Energy is spent on deformation (accompanied by heat release) and elastic deformation with a change in momentum (velocity modulo direction). The balance of these deformations is determined by the initial conditions of the accident, and the final result is based on the balance of the occurring deformations. Thus, there is a damping of impulses.
Common Causes of Frontal Car Collisions
If you are interested in how you can avoid a head-on collision, then it is useful to know about possible reasons, which lead to such trouble. So, in most cases, a collision of vehicles is the result of overtaking with a drive into the oncoming lane, bypassing various obstacles (including other parked cars), crossing intersections (especially roundabouts), as well as a consequence of advancing with moving to the extreme left lane and rebuilding.
It is also impossible not to remember about exceeding the speed limit, which is also common cause creating accidents on the roads. This behavior is especially dangerous if the motorist does not have basic driving skills, as a result of which the car may tip over (especially true for icy conditions).
Note!According to the information provided by the traffic police, most of the head-on collisions occur in winter period when the road surface is covered with ice crust, and drivers are unprepared for such weather conditions.
Often the root cause of an accident is also the excessive self-confidence of drivers. Having decided to overtake a vehicle moving in front, not all motorists correctly estimate the speed of a car traveling along oncoming lane, and passing vehicles. In addition, various optical effects resulting from limited visibility and poor road conditions disappear from their field of vision.
A frequent cause of head-on collisions of cars can also be called the fatigue of the driver, who simply falls asleep at the wheel and unconsciously directs his vehicle into the oncoming traffic lane. This often happens to drivers of oversized trucks, and you can understand that a person is sleeping at the wheel based on the dynamics of acceleration of the car in the oncoming lane and the trajectory of its movement.
Interesting to know!The foreign edition of Forbes calls drunk drivers the main cause of frontal accidents. It's no secret that not even a large number of alcohol in a person's blood significantly reduces his reaction to everything that happens, which is why in the same America there is half of all accidents on the roads.
As for domestic motorists, it is safe to say that this is far from the only reason for the growth of accidents on the roads. The driver may also lose control of the vehicle due to a skid, steering lock or driving onto a bad stretch of road.
So how do you get away from a head-on collision on the highway if an uncontrolled car is rushing at you? The main thing is to try to avoid hitting head-on, because in this case, damage to the car and injuries to passengers are often more significant than in other types of collisions (for example, when hitting a tangent). Therefore, the first thing to do in an unforeseen situation is to slow down and try to slow down, and only then begin to operate the steering wheel.
However, if you see that a head-on collision is still imminent, it is better to point the car away from the road. In any case, entering a bush, ditch or snowdrift will be less dangerous than meeting oncoming traffic (of course, large trees, poles or walls are also best avoided).
Important!At frontal impact the airbags do not deploy, so the only thing that can save the driver and passengers is the seat belt.
Also, once you notice that oncoming car drove out of its lane and ended up almost next to your car, it is better to prefer a tangential collision with a passing vehicle to a frontal impact. This advice is also relevant for situations when an unexpected obstacle appears on the road (for example, a large animal), and you have no way to avoid meeting it.
A fairly large number of severe or even fatal injuries occur as a result of blows to the sides of the vehicle. In the event that you did not immediately notice a car approaching from the side, and stopping your own vehicle will definitely lead to a collision, you can also try to get away from it by increasing the speed. You need to understand that an attempt to prevent a head-on collision with one car can always end up with a meeting with another.
Did you know? According to the official statistics of the traffic police of Russia, in the first half of 2016 (from January to June) more than 8,000 people died in road accidents, and 34.3 thousand accidents were caused by low quality pavement. Compared to last year, the growth of such accidents amounted to 7.8%.
What to do if a collision is unavoidable
Due to confusion, many drivers do not have time to react to the danger that has appeared, and it is often too late to take any action to avoid a collision with a car flying at you.
What to do in a head-on collision? In fact, you have few options, and in addition to the actions already described, the main of which is trying to avoid a head-on strike, all that remains for you is to warn other road users about emergency. It is likely that a sound or light signal will also affect the driver of an oncoming vehicle, bringing him out of his stupor. So, a loud signal heard at such moments acts as an irritant that can bring a confused or tired person to life.
However, if the driver rushing towards you has lost control of his vehicle, then in this way you will only be able to warn other drivers of an imminent accident, although this is already a lot.
Well, if in a critical situation you were fastened, but if this is not the case, try to quickly lie on your side, moving into the passenger seat - this will save you from dangerous injuries from flying objects. The seated driver also needs to cover their face with their hands, which will help protect their eyes and face from broken glass fragments, as well as quickly remove their feet from the pedals (this way you will save yourself from serious fractures of the feet and lower legs).
Be that as it may, but in any situation, it is worth remaining calm and not succumbing to panic. Only in this way will you be able to navigate and do everything possible to minimize the possibility of damage.
Note! Talking on a mobile phone while driving increases the risk of an accident by four times, and if the driver also thought of typing messages, then the likelihood of injury in a frontal collision increases by as much as six times. The reaction speed of the driver in such a situation is reduced by 9% and 30%, respectively.
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Do you know how dangerous a head-on collision is? This is very, and to avoid it, you need to know special care techniques. And probably, many motorists were faced with such a situation when a car rushed towards them from the oncoming lane at breakneck speed. Then the collision was avoided either because of a favorable case, or the driver knew how to behave. And what about those who do not know this?
First of all, in order to avoid a head-on collision, the driver, when meeting an unexpected obstacle, must necessarily slow down or slow down, but it is necessary to act on the steering wheel only at the very last moment.
Head-on collision
A head-on collision is the worst thing that can happen on the road. Especially if . So the first thing to do is drop it.
This is the worst accident, and the driver is obliged to avoid it in every possible way.
A typical situation, but such an accident could have been avoided. The road is well lit, the visibility is excellent, there are no restrictions. Although the day is winter, everything is clearly visible and the roads are not slippery. Why is this?
The fact is that the driver of the passenger car began to overtake on the rise. And as you know, you can’t overtake on the rise, because you can’t see the road ahead of you, especially if the track turns a little to the right. What should the driver of the car do in this case? How to avoid a head-on collision at such a moment? Of course, slow down as much as possible and try to return to your lane.
Often these types of accidents end tragically and the car, which is smaller in size, is especially affected. The law of physics - different weight categories. And the driver passenger car, which is in the video above, you can see it right away. He panicked and became confused.
In addition, trucks, if they collide with cars, have a strong frame in front. It not only really protects freight car, but also becomes a real scourge for cars.
If suddenly an obstacle appeared in front of you in the form of the same passenger car, do not repeat the mistakes. Avoid a head-on collision by slowing down as much as possible and steering at the last moment. It is even desirable to direct the car into the snow or a ditch on the side of the road, but not in any way colliding head-on.
As mentioned above, in a head-on collision, the speeds collide.
And here are the consequences of such a terrible collision:
By the way, in the collision of a truck and a passenger car, which we saw in the video, the truck driver should not have honked, but turned slightly to the right. Thanks to such a simple technique, the accident could have been avoided.
What to do if a collision is unavoidable
What if it's already too late? What to do at such a moment?
Some experienced drivers it is advised (if an accident with a stationary vehicle is meant) to hide it behind the car in front and thus avoid a head-on collision.
In addition, even when stopped, you should be aware that in a frontal impact, the airbags will not work, if anything, and you must definitely wear a seat belt.
Now about how to take the hit as weakly as possible in a head-on collision on a moving car. The first thing to do is to try to translate the blow on a tangent. In other words, again, do everything to avoid a head-on collision by directing the blow to the side. If you don't panic, there will always be time for it.
As for or light, it is also needed. This is exactly what a truck driver did when he collided with a passenger car (see video above), continuously signaling danger to him. Often this helps, brings the driver of an oncoming vehicle out of a stupor. A loud signal at such a moment can act like a tub of cold water emptied on the head of a driver who has lost himself. In addition, in this way you warn the participants of other vehicles about the accident.
If a head-on collision could not be avoided, and you are wearing a seat belt (this is very important), cover your face with your hands, especially your eyes. Glass shards can hurt them very badly.
If at such a moment when a collision is inevitable, you are not wearing a seat belt, then you need to lie sideways on the passenger seat.
It will also be useful to remove your feet from the metal pedals.
Causes of accidents and head-on collisions
Head-on collisions are more common in winter. Although the roads are mercilessly sprinkled with reagent, in winter the weather is changeable and the surface of the road surface is often covered with an ice crust. It also happens that real winter ruts appear, especially on local, non-federal roads. It is clear that this is a major hindrance to traffic safety. And such elements can play a cruel joke, even if you are an experienced driver.
If we have in Russia main reason frontal collision become bad roads, then, according to the foreign edition of Forbes, drunkenness becomes a frequent cause of such an accident. As you know, in a driver who has drunk, even a little, the reaction is noticeably reduced and in extreme situations he behaves inappropriately. In the same states, about half of all accidents are caused by fault.
Not only drunkenness and bad roads, but also mobile phone causes a head on collision. Oddly enough, young people, and not only them, talk on the phone while driving and even send SMS messages. And as you know, when talking on a mobile device, the risk of an accident increases four times, and when typing messages - six times. The reaction speed is the same, which decreases by 9% if the driver is talking on the phone, and by as much as 30% if he is writing SMS.
Unfavorable emotions can also cause an accident. Often, drivers drive into the oncoming lane, having heard something bad, or in a rage at someone they become inadequate. There was a similar case in the capital, when a driver crashed into a truck at high speed. What prompted him to do so? The same emotions. He learned that his neighbors flooded his apartment and hurried to save the property, but, unfortunately, died on the spot.
Finally, the usual, useless recklessness leads to accidents on the roads and head-on collisions. It is no secret that inexperienced and young drivers often become hostages of such situations. By speeding, they think they have learned to ride. But it's not. Recklessness is fatal and accounts for 13% of all accidents in the world as a cause.
Ability to overtake correctly
All of the above causes of accidents are nothing compared to. Indeed, it is the ability to drive correctly that saves many people from accidents, head-on collisions and death.
It's not just about the ability to drive, but about the ability to overtake correctly. And often, when overtaking is done incorrectly, the driver of the car drives into the oncoming lane and collides head-on with another car.
Avoiding a head-on collision depends on this skill. And almost all motorists want to overtake on the highway, especially if a slow-moving vehicle is ahead.
It will be useful to watch this video if you don’t have time to read the following paragraph:
Overtaking technique. And the first rule is: do not overtake until you are sure that no car is moving towards you or there are no other obstacles! We must not forget that when overtaking, your car may be sandwiched between two cars traveling from both sides.
In addition, there is always a chance that the car behind will decide to overtake at this moment. Therefore, you should never forget about the turn signal and you should always follow the road in the rear-view mirror.
Each driver must comply with the following requirements for overtaking:
- before overtaking, turn on the turn signal in the direction you want to turn in order to warn all road users about the maneuver;
- know that, shifting to the left by a meter or one and a half, the space ahead should be visible by a hundred meters;
- we must also not forget about the reserve of space for acceleration in order to minimize the time spent in the oncoming lane;
- if you are driving a car with a manual transmission, you should choose a gear that would make it possible to instantly accelerate;
- you should always be ready for possible failure from overtaking and returning to your lane;
- it is better to refuse overtaking if a car suddenly appeared on the oncoming lane, and not to look for an interval-space between it and the overtaken car;
- when overtaking, you should arm yourself with extreme concentration and attentiveness.
By following all the above rules, the driver will protect himself from the worst accident that can happen - a head-on collision.
Video - head-on collision:
