Many serious accidents on the highway
During the recent September 2nd holiday, the Traffic Police Department said that there were 257 traffic accidents nationwide, killing 124 people and injuring 193 others.
Among the 257 traffic accidents, many cases were caused by the vehicle in front stopping suddenly on the highway, causing the vehicles behind to not be able to handle the situation in time, leading to a series of accidents.
Recently, many serious accidents have occurred on the highway. A typical example is the accident at Km91, Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway (from Tien Giang province to Can Tho city) in Thien Tri commune, Cai Be district, Tien Giang province in July 2024.
The accident occurred between a passenger car with license plate 67B-009.xx driven by PTD, born in 1984, residing in Binh My, Chau Phu, An Giang, with about 40 passengers, and a car with license plate 60A-555.XX driven by NVC, born in 1978, residing in Tan Lap, Ham Thuan Nam, Binh Thuan, with 6 people on board.
The traffic accident resulted in 2 deaths, 3 injuries, and 2 damaged cars. Authorities determined that the car with license plate 60A-555.XX was suddenly damaged, so it stopped in the left lane, right on the hard median strip. The passenger car with license plate 67B-009.XX did not pay attention, did not keep a safe distance, and crashed into the back of the car, causing the accident.
Also in July, on the Hanoi - Hai Phong highway, there were two consecutive extremely serious traffic accidents due to stopping in the middle of the road, including a series of accidents involving three cars that killed two people and injured many others.
The cause was that the pickup truck with license plate 38C-195.XX was driving slowly to avoid an obstacle when it was hit from behind by a 16-seat car with license plate 15F-006.XX.
The collision was minor and did not cause any consequences, but after the collision, the people in the two vehicles, including Mr. TTA, born in 1990, residing in Hau Loc, Thanh Hoa and LNH, born in 1988, residing in Thanh Chuong, Nghe An (sitting in the pickup truck) and the driver of the 16-seat QVL car, stopped in the middle of the road - right in the left lane, where vehicles are allowed to travel 120km/h - to argue.
Failure to comply with traffic safety regulations led to a particularly serious traffic accident that killed two people.
Focus on traffic regulation
Discussing the issue of ensuring traffic safety on highways, former Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho said that recently, many people have expressed concerns about highways. For example, some highways lack rest stops and ITS systems.
Mr. Le Dinh Tho emphasized that although the infrastructure on the highway is not really guaranteed, we compensate by organizing traffic. If organized well, we can save a lot of money while still ensuring traffic safety.
To ensure traffic safety on the highway, the Traffic Police Department recommends that drivers who encounter an incident on the highway should pay attention, turn on the turn signal, and try to slowly move the vehicle from the roadway lane to the right side of the road or the emergency lane. After that, drivers are advised to continue to turn on the turn signal; get out of the vehicle (wear a reflective vest at night) and immediately place 3 cones or a reflective triangle behind the vehicle to warn at a distance of 100m on the highway.
"Drivers are not allowed to walk on the highway, they must stay outside the guardrail to ensure safety. Then call the authorities for assistance" - said a representative of the traffic police.
When a car has an accident on the highway, the driver must stay calm, set off an alarm, and contact the authorities for support and handling according to regulations. Drivers are also advised to absolutely not walk on the highway, and not gather in large crowds to argue.
Regarding equipment when driving on the highway, the Traffic Police Department said that reflective paper should be attached to the back of the vehicle; at least 3 cones or 3 reflective triangles should be equipped; and reflective vests should be worn in case of accidents on the road at night, in fog, or at night.
According to statistics from the Traffic Police Department, in the first 6 months of 2024, on the highways managed by the Department, there were 93 traffic accidents (TNGT), killing 36 people and injuring 52 people.
