A head-on collision is one of the worst road accidents that can happen to a driver. In the article, we will consider the different risks of a direct impact of two cars, we will describe the actions that will help to avoid an accident or reduce the consequences.

Ways of occurrence of danger

There are only two options for a head-on collision:

• your car gets into oncoming traffic;
• the appearance of another vehicle on your way.

Each of the options can have different variations. The choice of the correct methods for avoiding collisions will largely depend on the specific circumstances. The reason for the appearance of an oncoming vehicle in your lane can be either the driver's failure to comply with safety measures when overtaking, or the loss of control over the vehicle. In the latter case, the car skids towards the traffic flow.

The choice of actions depends on very specific factors:

• seasons, which largely determines the condition of the roadbed and shoulder;
• the nature of the road section in which the danger has arisen;
• traffic density;
• vehicle speed.

But the main thing in this case is your driving skills, reaction speed, the ability to quickly assess the situation and choose the right actions.

What to do if a car rushes towards

Suppose you spot an oncoming car. At the same time, it was calculated that while maintaining the same speed, the driver would not have time to complete overtaking and there is a chance of a head-on collision. In this case, you need:

• start deceleration immediately. You can only slow down sharply if you look in the rear-view mirror and make sure that there is no other car nearby. Otherwise, you risk getting hit in the stern, which can provoke a loss of control over the car;
• blink the driver high beam headlights. If the speed is high, then it makes little sense to use the horn. The driver of the oncoming car, most likely, will not hear the signal;
• if the distance to the oncoming vehicle has decreased to a critical one, and the car continues to move in a straight line towards you, release the brake pedal and take one of the sides. This is possible when the driver falls asleep while driving, continuing to move in the oncoming lane for no apparent reason. To get away from the hit, you can take left or right. If there is no traffic on the opposite lane, you can go to the oncoming lane. In winter, this option is in most cases more preferable, since roadsides covered with snow can "tighten" the car, causing a skid;
• if the driver begins to return to his lane, continue to reduce speed. As a last resort, you can take to the left.

The mistake of some car owners, trying to avoid a frontal impact, is maneuvering towards the oncoming vehicle, which leads to an impact. Sometimes, in such cases, to avoid an accident, it would be enough to start decelerating and keep straight ahead.

The oncoming car drives into your lane

Quite a common situation, it is very difficult to get out of it unharmed. Much depends on the time allotted for the reaction. It happens that an oncoming car jumps out into the forehead so unexpectedly that there is absolutely no time for a reaction. Most often this happens when, for example, a truck blocks the inspection of the oncoming lane.

If you notice from a distance that an oncoming vehicle has begun to rock from side to side, immediately start slowing down. Unfortunately, much in this case depends on luck, since it is very difficult to predict how the car will react to the driver's attempts to regain control of the situation.

It is important for you to maintain control over yourself and try to predict the trajectory of the car sliding along the roadway. The direction of movement of the vehicle, the state of the shoulder and the congestion of the oncoming lane will depend on which direction you need to make the maneuver.

Some drivers make the mistake described above, with fright directing their car under the "shell" rushing towards.

If you fail to complete overtaking

Suppose you misjudged the distance to oncoming traffic before overtaking. In order to avoid a head-on collision, you need:

How not to become the culprit of an accident

In order not to provoke a head-on collision, adhere to several important recommendations:

• do not overtake in front of bends, kinks, or humps that block the view of the next section of road behind them. There is a huge risk of sudden oncoming traffic;
• refrain from overtaking in dense fog, heavy snow blizzards;
• refrain from overtaking if you notice a vehicle leaving the adjacent road. Often, drivers only look to the left, not assuming the presence of a vehicle in the lane that it plans to occupy. Therefore, this situation provokes a head-on collision;
• always carefully evaluate the chances of successful overtaking. You must understand exactly the ability of your car, the coefficient of adhesion to the road surface. For example, too hard pressing on the gas pedal in a rear-wheel drive car;
• in order to reduce the time for overtaking, and, consequently, the time spent in the oncoming lane, do not start overtaking, emerging from behind the car in front. Leave some distance to partially pick up speed for overtaking in your lane. And only then, after making sure of the safety of the maneuver, start overtaking. When overtaking a truck, a difference of even 30 km / h will allow you to win a couple of precious seconds.

Roadside assistance

Drivers of heavy trucks often help to avoid a head-on collision. The high seating position opens up best view on the road. It is important for you to navigate the signals that the driver can give you. It is especially important to know:

• turning on the left turn signal - it is better to refuse the overtaking maneuver, since there is some danger ahead;
• turning on the right turn signal - you can start overtaking;
• switching on the alarm for 2-3 seconds - thanks for the help in overtaking.

If a blow is imminent

When there is no more time to take rescue action, try to steer the vehicle so that the impact occurs tangentially. Before a head-on collision, we recommend:

• press your elbows tightly to your chest, and close your eyes with your palms. This will help keep your eyes and part of your face from being cut by splinters;
• move your feet away from the pedal assembly so as not to be damaged by the crushing motor shield.

Useful training for drivers

There is a simple training method to better calculate the time of approaching objects at speed. Moving at a constant speed in everyday life, try to predict the time it will take for your car or oncoming car to cover some distance. Use static objects as a guide. For example, road signs.

At the dawn of the automotive road traffic a head-on collision of a car with another car, moving or stationary, or a static obstacle was unconditionally main reason accidents with serious injuries and deaths. Now the speed of cars, their mass and number on the roads have increased so much that side collisions, rear impacts, and so on are no less dangerous. Nevertheless, a head-on collision remains the situation that road users deserve to be most afraid of.

An obvious answer to an obvious question

It would seem that there is no need to explain why a head-on collision is especially dangerous for road users, that is, the driver and passengers in the car. However, such questions often arise, so you need to formulate obvious, but from this no less true answers. A head-on collision is dangerous because it combines all the main damaging factors of road accidents: a dynamic impact caused by an almost instantaneous stop of the car; injuries from debris and parts of vehicles; clamping of injured parts of vehicles and the syndrome of prolonged compression that occurs during a long stay in such a position; impact on people high temperature and emitted gases in the event of a fire as a result of an accident.

So that is why in crash tests of cars, that is, in experiments being carried out that test cars for safety in the event of an emergency, the main test is precisely a head-on collision. The most commonly used variant is the collision of the vehicle under test with a fixed concrete wall, which simulates a similar collision in real life with buildings, poles, trees and so on. In addition, recently, in order to obtain more accurate and detailed data on the behavior of car safety systems, the collision of two cars is increasingly being reproduced, one of which can be stationary or also move at a certain speed. Do not forget that fixed assets passive safety cars are aimed at protecting the driver and passengers primarily from a frontal collision. These are seat belts that reduce the risk of death when head-on collision 2-2.3 times, and about airbags.

Physics theoretical and practical

A curious theoretical controversy is associated with head-on collision, which became especially popular in last years thanks to the distribution on the Internet. It concerns the question of whether the speed of moving vehicles is summed up in a head-on collision. That is, is a head-on collision of two cars traveling at 70 kilometers per hour equivalent to a car hitting a stationary wall at 140 kilometers per hour. Actually, at first glance, adding the speeds of two cars is a pretty logical conclusion. But in reality, both calculations and experiments have shown that, other things being equal and strict parameters, in a head-on collision of two cars at a speed of 70 kilometers per hour, each car will be affected by the same amount of kinetic energy as in a collision with an undeformable wall at the same speed. ... The fact is that in a collision, the energy is extinguished due to the deformation of the car body, that is, the resistance force comes into play. And in the case of two moving cars, this process is multiplied by two, which ultimately gives the same characteristics of a head-on collision as in the case of a stationary object.

But this is, as it were, the theoretical physics of a head-on collision. The practical side of the problem is of prime importance in how to minimize injuries to people in the car, when it becomes clear that a head-on collision can no longer be avoided. In this case, there are few tips, but they can save lives. The main advice is, of course, to comply with the rules of the road in that part that relate to the use of seat belts - for the driver and passenger on front seat it is a matter of life and death. In addition, the airbags in a collision are only deployed when the seat belts are fastened. The rest of the advice is simple: if possible, try to move the car so that the blow falls on a tangent. In addition, the driver must keep his hands on the steering wheel and hide his face in them - which is important to prevent damage to the eyes and face in general. The passenger on back seat the task is different - it is necessary to reduce the area of \u200b\u200bthe body that can be exposed to fragments and parts of the vehicle. To do this, lie on the seat sideways and cover your face with your hands.

Alexander Babitsky

The traffic police published statistics of road accidents for the first half of 2013. The main types of accidents are collisions and collisions. Pay attention to the recommendations on how to act and behave when driving when an impact is imminent.

(Total 7 photos and videos)

Typically, a collision occurs when the car becomes uncontrollable and the human response to prevent an accident is no longer enough. Many drivers in a stressful situation think, first of all, about how to minimize damage to the car, and because of this they make erroneous decisions, which sometimes turn out to be fatal.

The most important thing in an emergency is to save people's lives and health!

In the event of an imminent accident, the driver needs to solve the most important problem in a minimum period of time: how to preserve life and health.

1. First of all, if possible, it is worth warning other road users about the danger by giving a sound or light signal.

2. If a head-on collision is imminent, if you are a passenger and are wearing a seat belt, quickly cover your face with your hands, especially your eyes. Yes, this is not a joke! This is what will help you protect your face and eyes from injury.

3. If in a critical situation you are not wearing a seat belt, you must immediately lie down on the side of the passenger seat located next to it: this will avoid hitting flying dangerous objects. Many serious and fatal injuries are caused by impacts on the side parts.

4. If you are a driver, try to keep your feet away from the pedals: you may suffer from serious fractures of the legs and feet.

5. If you are in danger of a side collision, grip the steering wheel or handrail strongly with your hands, otherwise you may be thrown onto the car door or glass. At the same time, be prepared to take the necessary action depending on the situation: after a collision, you may have to align the car with the steering wheel, press the brake, or something else.

Among novice drivers, there is a perception that rear impacts are almost not dangerous, but this is a serious mistake. It is especially difficult in such a situation for those who do not have head restraints in the car: as a result of the impact, the head of a person is thrown back, but since his body remains on the seat, this can lead to a fracture of the cervical vertebrae.

6. In the event that you notice a vehicle approaching from behind and realize that a collision is inevitable (there is nowhere to rebuild, it is impossible to move to the side of the road, etc.), put your hands on the steering wheel and be ready to change the direction of movement immediately after the impact, as well as use the brake pedal ... A collision can be avoided by sharply increasing the speed (if the traffic situation allows it).

7. If you are standing at an intersection and see that an impact from behind is inevitable, release the brake pedal (this will soften the impact), but press it immediately after the accident to prevent entering the intersection ( crosswalk) or collision with vehiclein front of you. With all your strength, put your hands on the steering wheel, your back against the back of the seat and press the back of your head against the headrest.

8. Press the key sound signal and turn on your hazard warning lights to alert others of an imminent accident.

We hope that these tips will help you and your family to stay safe and sound in a critical situation

Undoubtedly, any road accident is an extremely unpleasant incident that often ends in tragedy. However, no matter how much the parties would like to quickly forget everything, in any case, it is necessary to identify the culprit and assess the damage caused. The correct classification of the type of accident and the reconstruction of the general picture of events, part of which is the speed of movement of both vehicles, can help in performing such a task.

Speed \u200b\u200bcalculation and how a frontal collision occurs

Many car enthusiasts believe that when two cars collide head-on, their speeds add up, and the end result will be the same as when one car collides at a total speed against a concrete wall.

That is, suppose that two vehicles before the collision were moving at a speed of 65 km / h each, but will this mean that one such car, crashing at a speed of 130 km / h into a concrete wall, will receive the same damage as the cars in the previous version? Do the speeds add up in a head-on collision? Let's try to understand this issue.

In a collision of vehicles, everything happens literally in a matter of seconds, during which each of the cars is deformed or completely destroyed. The main factors affecting the force of destruction are the design of machines and their speed, and a shock impulse acts along the line of impact. The direction of this line during the collision depends on the direction and speed of movement of the two bodies. If the vehicles moved at different speeds, then the impact line will also pass at a smaller angle with respect to the axis of the vehicle moving at a higher speed.

At the same time, considering the collision of a vehicle with any obstacle, in this process, two subsequent stages can be distinguished: moment of contact (considered until the moment of closest approach) and moment of vehicle movement, which lasts until the very separation of the cars. The first stage is characterized by a partial transition of the kinetic energy of motion into potential thermal energy, energy of elastic deformation, etc. With the beginning of the second stage, the obtained potential deformation energy is again transformed into the kinetic energy of the vehicle. If we are talking about inelastic bodies, then the impact will end at the first stage.

Even if we assume that the machine was moving at a low speed, its kinetic energy will be large enough, and a blow into a stationary wall with a large mass will lead to the absorption of all its energy. The strong and rigid wall hardly deforms.

Of course, it cannot be said that hitting a stone wall will be completely identical to the collision of two identical passenger cars... For example, if one vehicle is moving faster than the other, then the total energy released in the collision will be less than in the previous case. More light car or a vehicle traveling at a slower speed will receive more energy than they had before the collision. That is, finding out whether the speed is summed up in a head-on collision, it is necessary to understand that it is not necessary to add this indicator, but impulses - a combination of speeds and masses.

Energy is spent on deformation (accompanied by heat release) and elastic deformation with a change in momentum (velocity modulo direction). The balance of these deformations is determined by the initial accident conditions, and the final result comes from the balance of the deformations occurring. Thus, the impulses are damped.

Common causes of head-on collisions

If you are interested in how you can avoid a head-on collision, then it is useful to know about possible reasonsthat lead to such a nuisance. So, in most cases, a collision of vehicles is the result of overtaking with an exit into the oncoming lane, bypassing various obstacles (including other parked cars), crossing intersections (especially roundabouts), as well as a consequence of advancing with moving to the far left lane and rebuilding.

It is also impossible not to remember about speeding, which is also a common cause of road accidents. This behavior is especially dangerous if the motorist does not have basic driving skills, as a result of which the car may tip over (especially important for icy conditions).

Note!According to the information provided by the traffic police, most of the head-on collisions occur precisely in winter periodwhen the road surface is covered with an ice crust and the drivers are unprepared for such weather conditions.

Often, excessive self-confidence of drivers also becomes the root cause of an accident. Having decided to overtake a vehicle moving in front, not all motorists correctly estimate the speed of a car driving in the opposite lane and passing vehicles. In addition, various optical effects resulting from limited visibility and poor road conditions disappear from their field of vision.

A common cause of head-on collisions of cars can also be called fatigue of the driver, who simply falls asleep while driving and unconsciously directs his vehicle into the oncoming lane. This often happens with the drivers of large-sized trucks, and it is possible to understand that a person is asleep at the wheel, based on the dynamics of the car's acceleration in the oncoming lane and the trajectory of its movement.

Interesting to know! Forbes, a foreign publication, cites drunkenness of drivers as the main cause of head-on accidents. It's no secret that not even a large number of alcohol in a person's blood noticeably reduces his reaction to everything that happens, which is why in the same America half of all road accidents occur.

As for domestic motorists, we can say with confidence that this is far from the only reason for the growth of accidents on the roads. The driver can also lose control of the vehicle as a result of skidding, steering lock or going onto a bad road section.

So how do you avoid a head-on collision on the track if an uncontrollable car rushes at you? The main thing is to try to avoid hitting forehead to forehead.because in this case damage to the vehicle and injuries to passengers are often more significant than in other types of collisions (for example, in a tangential impact). Therefore, the first thing to do in an unforeseen situation is to slow down and try to slow down and only after that start steering.

However, if you see that a head-on collision is still inevitable, it is better to steer the car away from the road. In any case, entering a bush, ditch or snowdrift will be less dangerous than meeting oncoming traffic (of course, it is better to avoid large trees, pillars or walls).

Important!In a frontal impact, the airbags do not deploy, so the only thing that can save the driver and passengers is the seat belt.

In addition, as soon as you notice that the oncoming car has left its lane and is practically next to your car, it is better to prefer a tangential collision with a passing vehicle over a frontal impact. This advice is also relevant for situations when an unexpected obstacle appears on the road (for example, a large animal), and you have no way to get away from meeting it.

A fairly large number of serious or even fatal injuries occur as a result of impacts to the side of the vehicle. In the event that you did not immediately notice a car approaching from the side, and stopping your own vehicle will definitely lead to a collision, you can try to get away from it by increasing the speed. It should be understood that an attempt to prevent a head-on collision with one car can always end with a meeting with another.

Did you know? According to the official statistics of the traffic police of Russia, in the first half of 2016 (from January to June) more than 8,000 people died in road accidents, and the cause of 34.3 thousand accidents was the poor quality of the road surface. Compared to last year, the growth of such accidents amounted to 7.8%.

What to do if a collision cannot be avoided

Due to confusion, many drivers do not have time to react to the emerging danger in time, and it is often too late to take any action to avoid a collision with a car flying at you.

What to do in a head-on collision? In fact, you have few options, and in addition to the actions already described, the main of which is an attempt to avoid a head-to-head impact, all that remains for you is to warn the rest of the road users about the emergency. It is likely that a sound or light signal will also affect the driver of an oncoming vehicle, bringing him out of his stupor. So, a loud signal that is heard at such moments acts as an irritant that can bring a confused or tired person to their senses.

However, if the driver rushing at you has lost control of his vehicle, then in this way you will only be able to warn the other drivers of an imminent accident, although this is already a lot.

It is good if in a critical situation you find yourself strapped in, but if this is not so, try to quickly lie on your side, moving into the passenger seat - this will save you from dangerous injuries from flying objects. A strapped-on driver also needs to cover his face with his hands, which will help protect his eyes and face from the shards of broken glass, as well as quickly remove his feet from the pedals (this way you will save yourself from serious fractures of the feet and legs).

Be that as it may, but in any situation, you should remain calm and not panic. This is the only way you can navigate and do everything possible to minimize the possibility of damage.

Note! Conversation on mobile phone in the process of driving a vehicle increases the risk of an emergency fourfold, and if the driver also thought of typing messages, then the probability of being damaged in a frontal collision increases as much as six times. The driver's reaction speed in such a situation is reduced by 9% and 30%, respectively.

God forbid you to crash into a tree or a wall at full speed. And a head-on collision entails absolutely terrible consequences: after all, the speed of the oncoming car is actually added to your speed. And energy, as they teach in school, is proportional to the square of speed - in general, it's creepy to think about the consequences.

Meanwhile, if you still think about and remember school physics, then ... an unexpected conclusion is obtained. You don't need to add speeds at all! And if, for example, two identical cars, moving at equal speeds, collide head-on on the track, then the impact energy for each of them will be determined only by its speed and mass. In other words, the consequences for it will be about the same as hitting a stationary wall! And not at all doubled or quadrupled.

Unclear? Meanwhile, everything is simple - the situation was described by Yakov Isidorovich Perelman in his "Entertaining Mechanics". Indeed, if we assume that at the time of the impact one of the cars was standing still, then it is obvious that the consequences of such an accident would be much less dire than when hitting a massive stationary wall. Two cars colliding in this way will continue to move and will be thrown quite far from the point of collision; in this case, the deformation energy will be divided between them, roughly speaking, in half. But if you stupidly stick into the wall, then there will be no waste of energy for moving: all the accumulated energy will be spent on. If we now assume that the second car at the moment of the collision also had speed, then as it increases, the movement of the crumpled bodies from the point of impact will decrease and, finally, if the speeds are equal, the cars will remain after the accident at the point of impact. Moreover, the consequences of such an accident will be similar to hitting a wall.

Thus, a collision of two cars of equal mass at a speed of, for example, 100 km / h will be similar to hitting a wall at the same 100 km / h, and not at all at 200 km / h. Perelman spoke about this when describing the famous experience with the Magdeburg hemispheres. I remind you that two teams of 8 horses, pulling in opposite directions, tried to separate them. But the same effect could be achieved by doing just one eight horses and attaching one of the hemispheres to a motionless massive wall ...

It goes without saying that if the masses of cars differ significantly, then the consequences of such a collision will be as if an elephant came into contact with a Pug. In all cases, the heavy "elephant" is obviously smaller than the tiny "Moska".

The conclusions are rather gloomy, but still I will voice them. For a heavy car with a light car, it may be safer to hit a fixed obstacle such as a wall or a bridge support. For a small car, such a "meeting" is more dangerous. There is no difference for machines of equal weight.

And in the end the advice is simple: don't drive horses, friends. Still, the energy is still proportional to the square of the speed ...