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July 30, 2007
A COMMON FREEWAY ACCIDENT
By Jack Lee
In this picture we have South bound traffic on a two lane freeway. It's clear weather, dry pavement and unobstructed visibility. The posted speed limit is 55 mph. Note the accelleration lane for merging as seen on the right. You are in the number 2 lane travelling at 62 mph and the vehicle behind you (10 car lengths) is travelling at about the same speed. The merging vehicle is accellerating and is now about 57 mph, if you hold your speed and position, your vehicle will be hit broadside by the merging vehicle. What do you do?
1. Slow down quickly and let the accellerating vehicle pull in front of you.
2. Hold your speed and let the merging vehicle slow slightly to pull behind you.
3. Quickly change lanes.
Before you read the answer below, here is a link to a good site for driver improvment, it's called you be the judge.
Unless you have a real good reason to be in the number 2 lane you should be in the Number 1 lane already. There are a number of places where traffic merges in any freeway going through a City. Be polite, be safe, move out of a merging lane. But, lets say you are, so my next question is, why are you driving 62? The speed limit is 55 for a good reason, but it is rarely obeyed. Driving faster than the posted limit throws off the judgement of merging traffic and makes it more difficult. The faster you are going the more likely it becomes for a merging accident.
It's never a good idea to slow abruptly (save for an emergency collision avoidance) on a freeway, this causes people behind you to take evasive action or apply brakes to avoid you. You could cause a chain reaction accident to others. Further, by slowing on the freeway at an on ramp you are trying to think for the merging driver and force them into what you want them to do. Let them think for themselves, you have the right of way and it is their responsibility to adjust their speed to merge safely, by you slowing we often get into the game of each car slowing and the next thing is you are doing about 25 mph on the freeway and again, that is a perfect setup for a rear end collision!
The best move is to hold your speed and move slowly into the number 1 lane while signalling. The second best move is to do nothing. Even if the merging vehicle is foolish enough to try to move into your lane, which is highly unlikely, there is still enough room in your lane to accomodate two vehicles! It's tight, but I've measured it and it could be done. The point here is, just don't panic and do something radical! Simply and slowly move to the left in your lane, if it's safe then keep moving right into the Number 1 lane while signalling.
Worst case scenario, when you have no place to move in heavy traffic ... remember it would take a deliberate ramming to do serious damage by a merging vehicle. But, when two vehicles with matching speeds slowly touch, the damage will be extremely minimal, it happens every day on race tracks. So why swerve wildly into another lane and risk losing control? That panic manuever could be a disaster...so stay cool and make no abrupt moves unless it's critical to do so and it rarely is!
Planning ahead for every possibility and knowing what you will do in a given situation can be the best way to avoid an accident. So look for the risk, put down that #@!& cell phone or eye makeup, or whatever and drive like your life depended on it... it might!
Posted by Post Scripts at July 30, 2007 11:08 AM
Comments
Jack, That area of Chico on 99 that has become famous for this type of merging "situation" makes this is a great post.
The folks who drive me up the wall are those driving the "merging" vehicle who panic and slow to a near or complete stop just as they reach the merge point. Accelerating in order to match or blend into the flowing traffic on the freeway is then made extremely difficult and very dangerous. The cars behind this vehicle are expecting acceleration, not deceleration, so being rear-ended becomes likely as well.
I guess it seems backwards to some that merging at the higher speed is safer, but...it is! It's wise to go with the flow...it will keep you from being "inserted" into traffic!...or launched...or hurled...or?
Posted by: Tina at August 1, 2007 08:14 PM
Tina you are absolutely correct! In some Asian countries where traffic is unbelievably crowded I've seen lane changes done regularly with less than 2 feet of clearance front and back. You can slot right in there if traffic is moving at the same speed and as long as nobody freaks out and hits the brakes. People here would never make driving in Bejing! lol
I've seen minor fender benders in China where the cops and almost anyone, passerbys, witnesses, drivers, will all sort of hangout at the scene, talking and analysing the accident for an hour or two, like it was mystery for the public to solve or a lesson to be learned.
It's kinda of funny to watch, everybody is so interested in what happened and they all have their theories! lol
Thats a whole opposite approach from here where police pretty much will tell you at an accident scene this is confidential police business, you just keep moving, don't bug me. Police time is far more precious here than in China where there are lots of cops and little for them to do, so a non-injury traffic accident investigation is almost fun for them. It's a very social event.
Posted by: Jack at August 1, 2007 11:06 PM