April pile up
This seemingly peaceful early morning view
is about to be interrupted because in only
a moment, a 10 car pile up is going to occur.
The roadways are wet, but the bridge deck
is icy.
And on the far side of the bridge, there’s
a crash blocking both lanes.
One final element in play is the fact that
the gentle arch of the bridge is limiting
the visibility of oncoming traffic to see
what awaits them on the far side of the bridge.
The sudden change in traction combined with
a hard to see crash blocking lanes create
a ripe environment for a pile up
But if you’re in the middle of a pile up,
what should you do?
Any answer may involve trade offs.
But if your vehicle is drivable, it’s probably
wise to get well out of the way - avoid blocking
travel lanes and get to a safer location.
Should you leave your vehicle or stay inside?
Airbag deployment creates a very dusty and
smelly environment so it’s natural to want
to get out.
Most agencies we reviewed for this suggested
staying in your vehicle with the seat belt
on, but noted this is NOT a hard and fast
rule and depends on the situation.
If you get out, be strategic - get far off
the road or put a strong and sturdy barrier
between you and incoming traffic.
One car opted to drive upstream to help get
out of the way and moments later, a vehicle
careened into the spot they had occupied only
seconds earlier.
The car that went against traffic happened
to position their vehicle (intentionally or
not) at the apex of the bridge which may helped
get the attention of other drivers.
In this video, one individual exited his vehicle,
stayed on the shoulder but did not get over
the guardrail.
Moments later, a minivan slid into him.
Other individuals who exited and used a guardrail
or concrete wall to separate them from traffic
were not injured.
The DOT plow arrived less than a minute into
the event and its high profile lighting likely
helped end the pile up by providing sufficient
warning to incoming drivers.
In this video, we looked primarily at environmental
factors contributing to pile ups and initial
observations suggest a sudden change in traction,
a blocking crash and limited visibility - in
this case the rise of a bridge, all created
a risky environment for a multi vehicle crash.
In future videos, we’ll look at driver behavior.