Hazard:
36% of all VSC vehicle accidents are the result of one vehicle hitting another vehicle in the rear-end. These rear-end collisions are typically the result of:
- Tailgating (Following Too Closely)
- Distracted Driving
- Cell Phones, GPS Directions, Eating/Drinking, Playing with the Radio
- Speeding
- Looking Behind When Pulling Forward
- Looking in the rear view or side mirrors, or over your shoulder
Rear-End accidents occur in congested areas such as: Intersections, Stop & Go highway traffic, Entrance & Exit ramps,
Preventative Measures:
Follow these guidelines so that you are not the next VSC driver to cause a rear-end accident
- Following Distance – The “4-Second Rule”: When the driver ahead of you passes a fixed object such as a pole, sign, or underpass, start counting “one-thousand-and-one, one-thousand-and-two, one-thousand-and-three, one-thousand-and-four”. If your car reaches the fixed object before you finish counting, you are following too closely and need to increase the distance between you and the car ahead. 4-seconds is a minimum. On wet roads, or when carrying a heavy load, increase it to 6-seconds.
- Drive Defensively. Always be aware of your surroundings so you can anticipate other driver’s actions.
- Never Drive Distracted! You can’t avoid the vehicle in front of you if you don’t see it!
- If you are not looking forward, you should not be moving forward. Other vehicles stop suddenly for various reasons – if you are looking over your shoulder to merge into traffic, you will not see the stopped vehicle ahead of you…until you rear-end it!