How to Prevent Chain Reaction Car Crashes

Chain-reaction crashes can cause huge amounts of devastation, ranging from extensive property damage on multiple vehicles to injuries to dozens of people, to death.

During chain reaction crashes, drivers and passengers can become trapped in their vehicles as more cars pile around them – and serious injuries can take place in a car that has come to a complete stop on the Interstate is struck by a car or truck traveling at full speed.
This month we covered the tragic story of a Midland toddler who died in a chain-reaction car accident on Interstate 20. The fatal car accident was caused by a nearby wildfire that blew thick smoke onto the highway, making it impossible for drivers to see the road. Unfortunately, the toddler’s uncle became part of a multiple-vehicle pile-up and the man’s car caught fire after running off of the road with the little boy trapped inside.

How can you help prevent chain-reaction crashes?

• Avoid tailgating. The main reason that chain reaction crashes happen is that drivers approaching a collision that has already happened do not have time to stop before becoming a part of the accident themselves. Putting a sensible amount of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you is the single best way to prevent pile-ups.
• If you are involved in a crash, try to get your car off of the road – or put on your hazard lights. As if being involved in a car wreck isn’t frightening enough, the seconds and minutes after a car accident are also dangerous, especially if you are on a highway or interstate. If you can pull your car onto the shoulder, do so. If you can’t, put on your hazard lights so that approaching cars know that something is wrong.
• Slow down in low-visibility situations. Many chain reaction crashes, including the one described above, take place when drivers can’t see very far ahead – such as when there is heavy rain, heavy snow, fog, or smoke. In these poor conditions, be especially aware of chain reaction crash risks.

Have you or a loved one been injured in a Texas chain-reaction crash? Talk to a Dallas car accident injury attorney today.