A white sport car, traveling at 55 MPH, came upon a line of cars stopped by a "flag man" near a construction area.
The driver did not realize that the cars ahead were stopped until he had almost reached them.
Case 3. Problem, part II
He slammed on his brakes and skidded into the left lane, where he collided with a red pickup truck which was coming from the opposite direction.
Both cars were totaled.
The driver of white car sustained several severe bruises, and the driver of the red pickup truck suffered facial cuts from shattered glass.
Who was at fault in this accident?
The driver of white sport car
The driver of red pickup truck
Case 3. Explanation
Answer: The driver of white sport car.
The driver simply wasn't paying attention. By the time he noticed that the cars ahead had stopped, it was too late to avoid them. Or was it?
By measuring the skid marks, the police were able to determine that white car was at least 150 feet from the nearest car when the driver realized what was happening. The police report also shows that there was a good clear shoulder along the right side of the road. The driver could have used the shoulder to steer around the stopped cars. So, even after his first mistake, he had a chance to avoid an accident.
This is not unusual. A recent study has shown that as many as half of the people who are in automobile accidents could have avoided them at the last minute by handling the car properly.
What should the driver of white car have done?
Pump the brakes. When the driver of the white car hit the brakes, he locked all four wheels, which put the car into a skid. After that, there was no way he could steer the car.
In this situation, unless you have anti-lock brakes, you should pump your brakes to keep the car from skidding out of control. Do this by rapidly pushing and releasing the brake pedal. Continue this quick pumping action to slow the car without letting it go out of control.
Steer out of trouble. Just as soon as he started braking, the driver of white car should have checked the shoulder to the right to see if it was clear. Once he saw the shoulder was clear, he should have turned quickly onto it and started to pump his brakes. This would have reduced the chance of a collision.
Rule Number 1:
When steering control is important, don't slam on your brakes -- this locks your wheels. Pump the brakes to keep control of the car.
Rule Number 2:
Don't hesitate to leave the road if it will help you to avoid a collision. At speeds over 30 MPH, you can swerve to one side in less distance than it would take you to stop. Pull onto the shoulder, if there is one. If there is no shoulder, find someplace else to go. Almost anything is better than running into another car.
