Multiple collisions on highway due to lack of warning signs

The incident occurred on the afternoon of July 6th on the Nghi Son - Dien Chau expressway, in the area of Thanh Hoa province.

A video captured by the dashcam of a vehicle traveling in the same direction showed that this section of the expressway has two lanes, with no emergency stopping lane, and two vehicles involved in the incident were stopped side by side on both lanes, with only a tire seen on the left lane as a warning sign.

The pickup truck stopped in the right lane only turned on hazard lights, without placing a warning object behind it.

The Hyundai Elantra approaching the rear of this pickup truck could only brake to avoid a collision, unable to switch to the left lane due to the obstructing vehicle with a dashcam.

Meanwhile, the truck behind it failed to brake in time, crashing into the rear of the Elantra and pushing it to collide with the rear of the pickup truck in front.

The chain collision incident highlights the importance of placing warning objects behind a vehicle when an accident occurs on the road and the need to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front, especially when driving on the expressway.

How far back should the warning object be placed behind a stopped vehicle?

In principle, when a vehicle must stop urgently due to an incident, accident, or running out of fuel, the first thing the driver should do is turn on hazard lights, then try to move the vehicle to the emergency stopping lane; for small vehicles, push the vehicle onto the right shoulder.

In addition to turning on hazard lights, it is necessary to place warning objects such as reflective triangles, cones, etc. If these are not available in the vehicle, branches, large flashlights, can be used to attract the attention of other drivers.

The warning objects should be placed behind the stopped vehicle at an appropriate distance, so that drivers of vehicles behind have enough time to slow down and steer away.

For the distance to place the warning object behind a vehicle with an incident, you can refer to the National Technical Regulation QCVN 41:2016/BGTVT on road signs, although this regulation is now replaced by QCVN 41:2019/BGTVT.

According to the regulation, if the average operating speed of the vehicle is below 20km/h, the distance from the sign placement to the warning location is less than 50m.

If the average operating speed of the vehicle is 20-35km/h, the distance from the sign placement to the warning location is 50-100m.

If the average operating speed of the vehicle is 35-50km/h, the distance from the sign placement to the warning location is 100-150m.

If the average operating speed of the vehicle is 50km/h or higher, the distance from the sign placement to the warning location is 150-250m.

Therefore, under normal traffic conditions on highways, the appropriate distance to place warning objects is 150-250m.

Additionally, if possible, arrange the warning objects to create a movable barrier, so that other vehicles do not rush into the area where the vehicles are involved in the incident.

To ensure the safety of life, when a vehicle encounters an incident, everyone should leave the vehicle, move to the back of the roadside barrier, or as far away from the lane as possible.

How to maintain a safe distance with the vehicle in front?

Directive 31/2019/TT-BGTVT specifies in detail the safe distance between two vehicles when participating in traffic corresponding to the speed of the vehicle. The specific safe distance between two vehicles participating in traffic is as follows (under dry road conditions):

On some highways, there are signs indicating 0m, 50m, 100m, or 70m, 140m... to help drivers gauge the distance with the vehicle in front more easily.

In addition to maintaining a safe distance, when driving in general and on the highway in particular, you also need to always pay attention to observe in order to handle unexpected situations promptly.

In practice, to maintain a safe distance with the vehicle in front on the highway, drivers often apply the 3-second rule because studies have shown that in normal conditions, 3 seconds are enough time for a driver to react to incidents such as a vehicle in front breaking down, encountering obstacles on the road, etc.

The essence of the 3-second rule is the time required for a driver to stop the vehicle safely after applying the brakes, based on comprehensive calculations of the driver's reflex speed, the inertia of the vehicle after braking to come to a complete stop, and avoid a collision.

To determine the "3-second" distance, find a stationary object by the road as a "marker"; it could be a traffic sign, a lamppost, or a tree... When the vehicle in front passes the "marker", count 1... 2... 3... in the correct rhythm of 3 seconds.

After counting, if your vehicle reaches the "marker" at the exact 3 seconds, the distance with the vehicle in front is considered safe. On the contrary, if you have not counted to 3 seconds and have reached the "marker", you need to slow down to widen the distance, ensuring a safe distance.

The 3-second rule is applied in good weather conditions, dry skies, clear visibility... In rainy weather, limited visibility, it should be increased to 6 seconds, meaning keep a double distance with the vehicle in front compared to usual.