Chain reaction crashes that involve three or more vehicles are most likely to happen during winter weather conditions when ice and snow affect visibility and stopping time. These crashes can result in deaths and severe injuries.
You can take steps to reduce your chance of getting in a chain reaction accident.
Reduce your speed
The faster you drive, the longer it takes to bring your vehicle to a complete stop. If you drive at too high a rate of speed, by the time you see a crash in front of you, there may not be enough time to stop your vehicle before you collide with another car.
Leave more space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you
In normal weather conditions, you should leave about three seconds of distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. In poor weather conditions, you should add an additional second and in extremely hazardous conditions leave eight to 10 seconds of space.
You can judge whether you are following too closely by counting the seconds once the rear bumper of the car in front of you passes a fixed object, such as a telephone pole. Stop counting when the front bumper of your car passes the same object.
Avoid distractions
It is always a good idea to avoid distractions while driving, but it is even more important when weather conditions are challenging. Keep your eyes on the road and avoid using navigation screens, making phone calls and other distractions.
You cannot control what other drivers do, but you can take steps to reduce your chances of being in a serious chain-reaction accident.