1. Collisions
Chapter 16

2. 16-1 Collisions Everyone pays in a collision Direct Costs
Medical care
Legal fees
Funeral costs?
Property damage
Indirect costs
Higher auto and medical insurance premiums
Traffic delays
Crowded court dockets
Loss of wages and worker productivity
Emotional costs
Impossible to calculate

3. Causes of a Collision
Collision more accurately describes a vehicle crash than Accident
Accident means nothing could be done to prevent the crash
Almost all collisions are caused by driver error
Most common causes of crashes
Speeding
Failure to give Right-of-Way
Driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs
Failure to obey traffic signals
Improper turning
Following too closely
Staying alert, managing your speed, and being aware of vehicles around you will keep you from getting into a crash

4. Types of Collisions Three collisions occur in a vehicle crash
Vehicle to vehicle
Driver to interior of vehicle
Organs of driver against the inside of the body

5. Types of Collisions Solo Collision Involves only one vehicle
Can be deadly if the crash involves a hard obstacle
Wall, bridge support, animal, cliff, ditch
Examples
Driver drives into a ditch because he/she fell asleep at the wheel or failed to take a curve properly

6. Types of Collisions Head-On Collision
Two vehicles collide front to front
Results in the most serious injuries and the highest rate of death
Force of impact combines the kinetic energy of both vehicles

7. Types of Collisions Side-impact Collision Also know as “T-Bone”
Occurs when two vehicle collide side to side, side to front, or side to rear
Worst injuries occur when one vehicle directly impacts the passenger compartment of another

8. Types of Collisions Rear-end Collisions
Occurs when one vehicle hits another from behind
Most damage occurs when the vehicle impacted is not moving

9. Types of Collision Chain Reaction
A series of collisions involving vehicles that impact one after another
Most cases are rear-end collisions
Most common on highways and freeways
Cars are driving closer together at higher speeds or in conditions of low visibility

10. Types of Collisions Rollover
A vehicle is flipped upside down or literally rolls over one or more times
Can be very serious
Occupants of vehicle may impact all sides of the vehicle
Resulting in head or neck injuries
Avoid vehicles with high centers of gravity

11. 16-2 What to Do at the Scene of a Crash
All jurisdictions require you to stop at the scene of a crash
To give aid and exchange information
Notify others in the event of property damage
Report the incident to the proper authorities

12. Stop at the Scene
The first thing you do if you are involved in a collision is stop immediately
Don’t have to have damage to your own vehicle to be involved
Must stop if you directly or indirectly cause a collision
NEVER leave the scene of an accident unless directed to by law enforcement or emergency personnel
“Hit & Run”
Leaving the scene or failing to stop following a crash
Felony crime
Do not have to stop at the exact spot of the collisions
If your vehicle is still drivable and you are not injured, move your vehicle out of harm’s way staying as close to the crash site as possible
Turn on hazards and locate crash victims

13. Giving Aid
Most people who die in collisions might otherwise live if they were to get immediate care from others
Depending on the site of the crash, emergency medical help could take a while
Provide care to the injured only if you feel comfortable doing so
Don’t hesitate if you are the only person available
Good Samaritan Law
Protects those who try to give first aid in emergency situations from being liable for injuries or fatalities that they may cause or assist in causing because of the quality of the first aid administered
In some jurisdictions, doing nothing is a punishable offense

14. Giving Aid (cont.) Do not move crash victims or allow them to move
Unless location puts them in immediate life-or-death danger
Hazards include, but are not limited to:
Being in the path of oncoming traffic, being submerged in water, being near downed power lines, being near fire
If you must move them, make sure their neck is stabilized
Assess who needs help the most
Check for unconscious victims
Listen and look for breathing
Check for bleeding
Make victim comfortable

15. Warning Others
Mark the crash scene with flares, emergency triangles, or other warning devices
Place them from feet behind vehicles involved in the collision
Higher the speed of traffic, farther back they should be placed
If you don’t have any of these
Open the hood of the vehicle
Use a flashlight or bright colored clothing

16. Calling for Help Use your cell phone to call 911
No cell phone or radio, try to find a pay phone
Be prepared to tell the dispatcher your name, phone number, what happened, number of victims, exact location of crash
Use landmarks, distance markers, cross streets, off-ramps, or any geographic features to identify where you are
Stay on the line until help arrives or dispatcher says so
If vehicle is undrivable, call towing service

17. Exchanging Information
Exchange names and addresses with all drivers and passengers, vehicle registrations number, license plate number, and driver’s license number
Insurance information should also be exchanged
If no information is available, get what you can
Remain calm, don’t yell and argue
Make a sketch or take photos of crash for documentation
Makes it easier to recall what happened

18. Property Damage Take pictures with camera or cell phone
If you hit a parked car, try to locate the driver
If you can’t find them, leave a note with your information and a statement of what happened

19. Reporting the Crash Must report the crash to proper authorities
especially if they did not show up to the scene
File your own report with local officials and the DMV
Even if they show up at the scene, file your own report
Notify your insurance company immediately
Give them all the information you have gathered

20. 16-3 Preventing Collisions
In most cases, you can avoid a collisions by preforming an evasive maneuver
By scanning and being aware of the driving environment at all times, you give yourself more time and space
Maneuvers you can perform:
“brake and hold”
Speeding up
Steering right or left
Driving off the roadway

21. “Brake and Hold”
Most drivers have a reflex action to brake and hold when faced with an impending collision
May not be the best option, but sometimes it’s the only option
Congested traffic with no escape route
Lower speed situations
Grip the wheel and press yourself against the back of the seat
Place your head against the head rest

22. Speeding Up Sometimes you can avoid a collision by speeding up
When you are about to be hit from the side or rear
Situations in which speeding up can help avoid a crash include, but are not limited to:
When you are at an intersection
When a driver traveling in the same direction moves toward you
When you are about to be rear ended and have clear space ahead of you to accelerate
Even if you can’t avoid a crash by speeding up, you may be able to shift the impact toward the rear of the vehicle, minimizing damage

23. Steering Left or Right
When there is not enough time or space to brake, and you have room on both sides of an obstacle, you may be able to steer left or right to avoid a crash
Traveling at slower speeds, you may be able to steer quicker than brake
Remember:
To your left is either oncoming traffic or vehicles traveling in your own direction but at higher speeds
To your right is most often slower lanes of traffic, shoulder of the road, curb, or parked cars
Avoid making too sharp a turn at higher speeds

24. Driving Off the Roadway
Most drivers do not think of this action because they believe it is against the law or unsafe
It is legal to do so if you are trying to avoid a collision
Consider the environment
The terrain off the roadway can cause more problems than a collision
Consider your vehicle
4x4 vehicles can manage harsher terrain than a low to the ground sports car
Types of surface
Traction can be effected
Slamming on your brakes can cause you to skid, an uncontrolled re-entry across other lanes of traffic, or a rollover

25. Avoiding Head-On Collisions
Possibility of serious injury or death is more likely with a head-on collision
Be aware of situations in which they are more likely to occur:
Two-lane highways
Narrow lanes
Near obstacles in the road
If a car is coming at you likely to collide head-on…
Flash your headlights/Honk your horn
Move to the right of your lane towards the side of the road
A vehicle may be more likely to move back onto his/her side of the roadway to your left than to your right
You have a better chance of being sideswiped than colliding head-on

26. Avoiding Side-Impact Collisions
Most vehicles are less equipped to withstand a side impact than they are a head-on collisions
If you are at risk of colliding with the side of another vehicle:
Honk and flash lights to warn the other driver
Swerve right rather than left if there is no time to look first
If you are about to be impacted:
Accelerate rather than brake
Gets you out of the way quicker
Braking may actually contribute to a side-impact collision
If the way ahead is not clear, turn in the direction that the other vehicle is moving
Causes the impact behind you to the rear of the vehicle
Turning toward the vehicle risks colliding head-on

27. Avoiding Rear-End Collisions
Most common type of multiple-vehicle collisions
Caused from following to closely, more often than not
Maintain a space cushion and following distance, and you will avoid rear-ending a vehicle in front of you in ALL situations
To prevent being rear-ended, tap your brakes rapidly and continuously to warn the approaching driver
Release parking brake if it is on
Position steering wheel straight
Having wheels turned will send you in the direction they are turned once impacted
If it is clear ahead of you, move forward quickly
Reduces the force of the impact and gives the approaching driver more time to stop
If you have to cross traffic, do so only if it is clear

28. When a Crash Is Unavoidable
If you are about to be in a crash, you can still control part of the situation, though it may only be seconds
Remember to hit something soft if you can
Bushes, shrubbery, crops, crash barriers
Choose where your vehicle will be hit
Familiarize yourself with the crash-resistant features of your vehicle and utilize them
Knowing your car’s strengths and weaknesses may save your life and others in a crash situation

29. 16-4 Vehicle Restraints Systems
Every vehicle comes equipped with devices to protect the driver and passengers in the event of a collision
They are designed to significantly reduce injuries and deaths
The ones we will look at specifically are:
Safety Belts
Air Bags
Child Safety Seats

30. Safety Belts Purpose Most vehicles have a lap and shoulder belt
Provide protection against most kinds of collisions, keep you behind the wheel so you can steer to avoid a crash, and prevention from being thrown from your vehicle
Most vehicles have a lap and shoulder belt
Most vehicles will alert you to put your safety belt on if you haven’t done so before taking off
Lap Belt
Designed to restrain your pelvic area and should fit snuggly
If not properly worn, it can slide up and cause injury to your abdomen
Shoulder Belt
Goes across the sternum
Should be loose enough to allow you to fit your fist between the belt and your chest, but not so much that the belt hangs over your arm
If it is too loose, your upper body will strike the interior
Never put it under your armpit

31. Safety Belts (cont.) Passive Restraint
The safety belt operates without action by the occupant
As a driver, your are responsible for everyone in your vehicle
Make sure they are wearing seatbelts properly
Can be ticketed in some jurisdictions for passengers not wearing safety belts

32. Air Bags
A major cause of serious chest and facial injuries is driver contact with the steering wheel
Air bags are concealed in the steering wheel and dashboard, and are designed to instantly inflate on impact in front-end collisions and sometimes during side-impact collisions
Combined with safety belts, airbags offer greatest protection against contact between a vehicle and its occupant
Air bags are a supplemental restraint
You still need to wear your safety belt/Do not protect against every collision

33. Child Safety Seats
Children under the age of 8 years old need to be in a safety seat
Three different types of child safety seats
Rear-facing
Convertible seats
Booster seats

34. Child Safety Seats (cont.)
Rear-Facing Seats
Designed for infants from the time they are born until they are 20 pounds or are 1 year old
Have a detachable base so that the seat can double as a carrier
Convertible Seats
Designed for toddlers weighing between 20 and 40 pounds or who are 1 to 4 years old
Can be converted from a rear-facing to forward-facing as the child gets older
Booster Seats
Used for older children not quite ready for regular safety belts

35. Child Safety Seats (cont.)
Children in safety seats should always be placed in the back seat
Keep them as far away from the force of a head-on collision
Especially rear-facing seats
Newborns and infants in a rear-facing seat placed on the passenger seat are at risk of being injured by an airbag