An accident is a serious matter that can change everything, but in the cases of surviving such an event, there are major tips to carry out to ensure that you are safe from further harm. Luckily, MasterDrive has compiled a helpful list of tips on what to do and what not to do when you've experienced a head-on collision.
Dashcam footage of the Vanderbijlpark crash that took the lives of 14 schoolchildren was released a week ago, which already has everyone in an uproar. However, it is fair to place yourself in such a situation and ask, "What would I have done differently in the same scenario?" In this piece, we will look at effective tips and tricks to adopt should you find yourself on the brink of chaos.
CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says a possible head-on collision is something every defensive driver should always expect and, consequently, be prepared for. “Understand and accept mistakes or bad decisions will be made on the road by others.
“Drivers must always be prepared for a potential head-on collision and respond in a manner that minimises risk for all road users. While nothing can guarantee complete safety, there are recommended steps that can reduce harm in the critical moments before a head-on collision.”
It is very good to know that there in fact are techniques that can either reduce impact or help minimise injuries and help prevent death if a head-on collision is imminent. “These techniques, however, are often at ‘war’ with your instinctual reaction -which are often not the safest course of action.
“Choosing the right reaction depends on awareness of what may happen during a potential head-on collision and how to respond appropriately. This will make a war between instinct and a trained reaction, significantly less,” says Herbert.
Instinctual vs. trained reactions
- Scenario: a vehicle is overtaking ahead and is now in your lane, on a direct collision course (this scenario is with reference to the recent video).
Instinct: drivers tend to swerve away from the danger in the context of the video, both the truck driver and taxi driver’s instinct is to swerve to safety on the left shoulder of the roadway. Often referred to as a ‘faked left.’
Trained reaction: as the non-overtaking driver in the left-hand lane, never move into the right-hand lane. While every scenario varies, in most instances, the safest choice is to move left onto the shoulder or side of the road.
- Scenario: you fixate on the oncoming vehicle.
Instinct: drivers naturally steer toward the object they are staring at.
Trained reaction: after identifying the risk and potential head-on collision, look away from the oncoming vehicle and in the direction you want to safely navigate to.
- Scenario: you need to reduce your speed to safely make your next move.
Instinct: you slam on brakes causing them to lock (if you do not have ABS) or lose control because of the sudden and extreme change in speed.
Trained reaction: stop accelerating and gradually apply brakes. Once speed is safely reduced you can start manoeuvring into a safe position. Often, drivers in the left lane will most likely allow a gap for the oncoming driver to move back into the left lane avoiding the need to make hasty ill-thought-out decisions.
- Scenario: there are obstacles such as trees or ditches on the left of the road where you need to move your vehicle.
Instinct: slam on brakes, freeze, or make a sudden and last-minute overcorrections.
Trained reaction: it is still recommended to steer toward the left shoulder to avoid a direct head-on collision. Aim to hit obstacles from the side in a glancing blow rather than a full-frontal crash.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones affected by the tragic head-on collision involving the scholar transport. “MasterDrive supports the calls from society and proposals from government for scholar transport drivers to undertake greater training. This is the first step in preventing needless loss of young, innocent lives on our roads,” says Herbert.
Want to know more and potentially put it in to practice to improve your instincts and skills behind the wheel to ensure that your commute are much safe? well companies like MasterDrive have a developed scholar transport training programme which the organisation is happy to extend to more service providers and use in interaction with all sectors of society to improve the transportation available to our youth.