A head-on collision is the worst crash most
of us can think of. Thankfully, they are relatively rare.
Still, you should be prepared for one. A young mother was
on an Arizona highway, with her sister and her child. She
had great visibility. In front of her was smooth, dry pavement,
wide shoulders and straight road. A snake slithered out. Rather
than hit the snake, she went left of center, right into the
grill of a semi. All three were killed instantly in a collision
that equaled running into a solid wall at over 120 miles per
hour. When emergency crews arrived, the truck driver was wandering
around, telling anyone who'd listen that he was so close when
she swerved, he hadn't had time to turn his wheel and take
his rig into the ditch to save them. He couldn't understand
why she would hit a truck head on, instead of a snake.
I can tell you why. First, she wasn't
paying attention. Second, she reacted
without thinking, in a fraction of a second, and she made
the WRONG decision. What would you do if you were suddenly
faced with a highway head-on? You've got only a few seconds
to react, the closing speed is 200 feet per second and maybe
more. At this speed you cover each MILE of pavement in 26
seconds. If you think about it ahead of time and often, so
it becomes second-nature to you, you may make the right move
if you ever face a head-on.
Here's how to avoid head-ons. Anticipate
those places and situations where a head-on collision is possible.
They can happen on curvy roads, but these typically aren't
the full-on, radiator to radiator crashes you normally think
of when "head-on" is mentioned. There are head-ons
that occur on straight stretches, because someone is asleep
or distracted. Pay attention and look
far down the road. If you aren't distracted,
you're likely to see the vehicle coming long before he's a
problem. Watch for erratic behavior. Use
your headlights in daylight -- it makes the other driver
THINK about you -- Why does he have his lights on?
On curvy roads especially, DON'T HUG THE CENTERLINE. Drive
on the right side of your lane, and you'll miss the guy that's
a little bit wide coming around a blind curve at you.
Despite your best efforts, you could someday
face a head-on. First, slow down as quickly as you can without
losing control; this will reduce the forces if there is an
impact. If the other driver keeps coming in your lane, go
off the road to the RIGHT, NOT LEFT. If he recovers at the
last second, where do you think he'll go? If you hit him on
his side, in the absence of witnesses who can state the truth,
it's your fault (if you survive). When going off-road to the
right, if you cannot avoid hitting something solid, don't
hit it square, but off center, on a side if possible, with
a glancing blow. You are better off having a one-car crash
off the right side of the road, than you'd be in a head-on
crash at highway speed. But if you drive right, off the
road, you are going to do some damage. For this reason (it's
a sure crash), some folks hang on, in the face of an oncoming
head-on, until it is too late. Think about it NOW. Slow quickly,
drive right, off the road if necessary, live to see tomorrow
(and to read my next rule)!
<Rule
#30: Know How to Recover from a Skid
Rule #32: Be a Safe Passer>
