A wrong way collision in Houston in May demonstrates one of the very common causes of head-on accidents. The North Dallas Tollway has been, over the year, the site of other accidents involving these types of crashes, as well. The causes of head on accidents are oftentimes drivers who go into the wrong lane and end up traveling in the wrong direction until they slam into another vehicle. It’s really impossible to anticipate what will actually happen in one of these situations but, with a little bit of forethought and some practice driving your vehicle, you can increase your chances of avoiding them.
Escape Routes
The most important thing you have to have to avoid a head-on collision is an escape route. An escape route is simply a direction in which you can turn your vehicle that will allow you to avoid the collision. In some cases, you may need to pick a less than optimal escape route to avoid the collision.
You’re not going to have long to do this. It’s common for people, when they first see a driver heading at them in the wrong lane, to hesitate for a second because they’re not sure what they’re actually seeing. Remember that, if both of your vehicles are on the freeway traveling at 70 miles per hour, you’re actually drawing closer to one another at 140 miles per hour.
Look Where You’re Going
One of the techniques that motorcyclists use to avoid getting in these collisions also works for passenger vehicles. If you have to swerve to avoid a hazard – such as a driver coming at you in the wrong lane – look where you’re going, not at the car that’s coming at you. In any situation, you’re going to tend to steer your vehicle wherever you’re looking. This can be even more pronounced in a panic situation when you’re not even aware of what your body is doing.
Being able to successfully react to one of these situations in a way that saves your life is something that takes real skill. There have been a lot of head-on collisions in the news lately and many of them are fatal. Five people died in the Houston collision. If you’re not sure that you would know what to do in one of these situations, by all means, sign up for defensive driving class and get advice from an expert who can tell you how to maximize your chances of surviving.
