(800)525-7111 Free Consultation

What Can I Do to Avoid a Head-On Collision?

Dan Brian   |  October 31, 2016   |  

accident scene of a reckless car accidentOn October 11, a woman died from injuries she sustained while she was a passenger in vehicle involved in a head-on collision in Mount Olive, according to The Goldsboro News-Argus. Authorities believe that the driver of the other vehicle involved in the deadly auto accident was driving drunk. The report in the News-Argus described the head-on collision as being the result of the suspected drunk driver crossing the centerline on Kelly Springs Road.

The woman died in the wrong-way crash. The driver of the vehicle she was traveling in, a 2008 Nissan Frontier, was taken to the hospital, treated for minor injuries and released. The alleged drunk driver was also treated for minor injuries at the hospital. After receiving medical treatment, he was charged with driving with an open container, driving while impaired, reckless driving and felony death by motor vehicle.

How to Avoid a Head-On Collision

In many cases, head-on collisions are the result of a car heading the wrong direction on a road. Elderly drivers often drive the wrong way on a road, because they’re confused. However, many wrong-way accidents happen, because a drunk driver is too intoxicated to realize he or she is driving in the wrong direction. If you ever encounter a vehicle heading the wrong way, here are a few tips to help you avoid a head-on crash:

  1. Buckle your seatbelt – In head-on collisions, wearing your seatbelt can prevent you from being thrown from your vehicle, which could make the difference between surviving the wreck and not.
  2. Keep your eyes on the road – Try to keep your eyes on the road both a few feet in front of your vehicle as well as around a quarter mile ahead. The earlier you can spot a car or truck heading at you from the wrong direction the better.
  3. Check the reflectors – In many cases, there are reflectors on the road that can alert you whether you’re driving in the right direction or not. If the reflectors are yellow or white, then you’re driving in the right direction. If the reflectors are red, you’re heading the wrong way.
  4. Head to the right – Drivers often drive in the wrong direction because they’re drunk. Therefore, when they enter a highway heading the wrong way, drunk drivers will tend to get in the far left lane, because they think it’s the right lane (slow lane) and don’t want to get pulled over for speeding. If this is the case when you see a car heading in the wrong direction towards your vehicle, you should swerve to your right (their left) to avoid the other car.
  5. Signal Clearly – In addition to swerving right, if the wrong way driver is drinking and driving, he or she will not be as mentally alert. Therefore, use your signals to let the other driver know which direction you intend to go as clearly as possible.

Have you ever had to deal with a wrong way driver? If so, what happened? Share your story on our Facebook or Twitter.