Frontal collision with oncoming traffic
Sequence of events:
A truck driver was driving an articulated truck on a rural road. While negotiating around a right-hand curve, the driver applied the vehicle’s brakes. By doing so, the wheels of the first and third axle became locked on the right-hand side of the semi-trailer, meaning that the cornering forces needed to travel around the curve could no longer be applied. The semi-trailer traveled left onto the lane of oncoming trffic, where the side of it collided with the front of an oncoming articulated truck. Its driver became trapped in the driver’s cab and had to be rescued by the fire brigade.
A truck driver was driving an articulated truck on a rural road. While negotiating around a right-hand curve, the driver applied the vehicle’s brakes. By doing so, the wheels of the first and third axle became locked on the right-hand side of the semi-trailer, meaning that the cornering forces needed to travel around the curve could no longer be applied. The semi-trailer traveled left onto the lane of oncoming trffic, where the side of it collided with the front of an oncoming articulated truck. Its driver became trapped in the driver’s cab and had to be rescued by the fire brigade.
Vehicles:
Two articulated trucks
Two articulated trucks
Consequences/injuries:
A trucker suffered serious injuries.
A trucker suffered serious injuries.
Cause/problem:
A technical inspection of the semi-trailer of the party responsible for the accident determined that there were considerable defects with the braking system of the vehicle that contributed to the accident, alongside the behavior of the driver.
A technical inspection of the semi-trailer of the party responsible for the accident determined that there were considerable defects with the braking system of the vehicle that contributed to the accident, alongside the behavior of the driver.
Avoidance measures, mitigation of consequences/ strategy for road safety measures:
The driver responsible for the accident could have avoided the accident if they had taken into account the course of the road and the weather conditions and had braked their vehicle to a maximum speed of 40 km/h before entering the curve in order to negotiate it using the full cornering forces without further braking. With regard to the victim who suffered serious injuries, the accident was unavoidable because he had no opportunity to swerve out of the way due to the layout of the road and the slope pro- file. If the braking system had been in good working order, the semi-trailer probably would not have left its lane. Regularly checking the technical condition of a vehicle is essential, and any defects identified must b 1 Accident illustration e rectified immediately.
The driver responsible for the accident could have avoided the accident if they had taken into account the course of the road and the weather conditions and had braked their vehicle to a maximum speed of 40 km/h before entering the curve in order to negotiate it using the full cornering forces without further braking. With regard to the victim who suffered serious injuries, the accident was unavoidable because he had no opportunity to swerve out of the way due to the layout of the road and the slope pro- file. If the braking system had been in good working order, the semi-trailer probably would not have left its lane. Regularly checking the technical condition of a vehicle is essential, and any defects identified must b 1 Accident illustration e rectified immediately.