Pile-Up
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Pile-up crashes involving multiple vehicles are some of the most dangerous accidents on busy roads. They often lead to serious injuries, fatalities, and significant traffic delays.
What causes these chain reaction collisions, and how can drivers protect themselves from becoming part of a pile-up? This page covers essential defensive driving techniques to help you stay alert, maintain safe following distances, and manage your speed effectively in heavy traffic.
How can you spot the early warning signs of slowing traffic and respond safely? Whether you are an experienced driver or a driving instructor, understanding the factors behind pile-up accidents and learning how to avoid them is key to staying safe on the road.
Have a look at the previous page on Stopped for advice on avoiding rear-end collisions.
Front
A
pile-up from the front occurs when a line of vehicles follow each
other too closely. As soon as a vehicle ahead slows down or stops,
the braking for each successive vehicle is compounded, resulting in a
multi-vehicle collision.
Rear
A
pile-up from the rear is normally when a heavier vehicle plows into
the car ahead, which in turn, impacts the car ahead of that,
recursively, until the energy is dissipated.
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