Multiple-vehicle collision

A pile-up (also: mass or series of accidents ) is a road traffic accident (usually rear-end collision ), are involved in many vehicles.

Causes

In most cases, pile-ups occur on highways. Cause of the pile-ups that occur especially in fog, blowing snow or rain are usually at high speed and low security clearance. Particularly when fog here by the limited view the risk that rates are underestimated. Other poor visibility and confusing road agencies contribute to pile-ups. Often they are the consequence of maladjusted speed and too little safety margin.

Effects

In a mass casualty, the individual cars often collide in several places with other cars. These many collisions involve a high risk of injury to the occupants. Furthermore, the cars often so strong wedged together, that a fast access by emergency personnel to the serious injuries can not always be guaranteed.

The vehicles involved with 259 and many injured largest ever pile-up of Germany occurred 19 July 2009 on the A2 between Braunschweig and Peine.

On April 8, 2011, due to a sudden sandstorm the worst pile-up happened on the A19 near Kavelstorf in Mecklenburg- Vorpommern, were involved in around 80 vehicles.

The large extent of damage can cripple important streets for several days, for example, very badly damaged asphalt or demolished bridges.

In insurance terms is usually determined at pile-ups in Germany, for reasons of simplicity, a lead company that handles the entire case and governs the claims payments to those affected and among the companies. For this purpose, a common property- pot is formed. This simplified procedure is applied to a number of vehicles of 50 and more. At 20 to 49 vehicles involved, this method is also applied when the circumstances of the loss is difficult to understand. Up to 20 vehicles is regulated usually by facts and the law.

Precautions

The risk of rear-end collisions can be reduced by:

• Compliance with larger distances
• And anticipation, not just observe the directly preceding vehicle, but more.
• Instant switch the hazard warning flashers. Practice to find the button also blind.