The weather is getting colder, and bad weather such as rain, snow and fog is increasing, which brings great inconvenience to travel, wheel slippage, and obstruction of vision... The slightest mistake can lead to a traffic accident, so let's take a look at the following cases.
- Case Study
Case 1: At about 16:30 on November 15, 2023, a bus drove off the road and rolled over on National Highway 322 in Guilin, Guangxi, killing 2 people and injuring 6 people. After preliminary investigation, it was found that when the driver of the bus changed lanes on a slippery road in a rainy day, the direct cause of the accident was the loss of control of the vehicle due to the sudden direction.
Case 2: At about 19:45 on November 22, 2023, a bus slid along National Highway 503 in Songyuan, Jilin Province and entered the opposite lane, colliding head-on with an oncoming heavy truck, killing 3 people and injuring 5 others. After a preliminary investigation, the driver of the bus drove on the ice and snow road without reducing the speed according to the regulations, and the vehicle slid due to improper operation was the direct cause of the accident.
- Risk factors for winter travel
1. The temperature is low in winter, the road surface is easy to freeze, and the braking distance of the motor vehicle increases, which is prone to skidding and rollover.
2. When the weather is cold, the water vapor in the atmosphere is easy to condense into fog or frost, and the visibility is reduced, which affects the sight of motor vehicle drivers and easily induces traffic accidents.
3. In winter, there are many rain, snow and fog weather, and frequent winds, which increase the difficulty of motor vehicle driving.
4. In winter, the days are short and the nights are long, and motor vehicle drivers are prone to fatigue driving when driving at night, and their ability to judge distance and speed will decrease, increasing the incidence of traffic accidents.
(3) Precautions before traveling
1. Understand the road conditions and plan to go out carefully. Grasp the road condition information in advance, plan the travel route, try to avoid the morning and midnight fog-prone periods, and minimize unnecessary outings when there is bad weather such as haze, snowstorm, and freezing.
2. Check the condition of the vehicle and be alert to vehicle failures. The temperature plummets, pay attention to vehicle maintenance, be sure to check the condition of the car before traveling, especially pay attention to whether the tire pressure is normal, check whether the lights, horn, steering, brakes, wipers and other components are normal and effective, pay attention to the condition of the battery, and wear snow chains if necessary.
(4) Precautions for motor vehicles
Drivers should improve their awareness of safe driving in winter, make comprehensive judgments based on road conditions and vehicle condition information, and make operations to avoid driving risks in advance.
- Control the speed of the vehicle and brake correctly. The road surface is slippery, the friction coefficient between the tire and the road surface is reduced, the vehicle is prone to side skidding, deviation or tail flicking, should drive at a moderate speed, avoid sudden braking, and make full use of the engine traction to slow down; do not overtake and change lanes at will; driving on snowy roads, should drive according to ruts, and slow down the direction.
2. Increase the distance between vehicles and drive cautiously. When driving, increase the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle in front to allow sufficient reaction time and braking distance. In winter, the distance between vehicles on ice and snow roads should be 2 to 3 times that of dry roads in other seasons.
03Use lights correctly and be prepared to avoid parking.
3. In rainy and snowy weather, the low beam and fog lights should be turned on in time. Especially when passing through villages, intersections, stations and at the bends of mountain roads, you should carefully observe the surrounding situation, sound the horn at the right time to attract the attention of pedestrians and vehicles, and be prepared to avoid parking.
4. When the visibility of dense fog is very low, stop in time. When pulling over, you should choose a safe place to stop, turn on the hazard warning flashing lights, set up warning signs in the direction of the oncoming vehicle, and continue driving after the dense fog has cleared.
- Prevents slippage and rollover. Slippery road will reduce tire grip and make the braking performance of the car worse, so pay attention to holding the steering wheel with both hands when driving, reduce unnecessary lane changes, maintain an average speed, and pay attention to deceleration in advance when turning. It is strictly forbidden to take emergency braking on ice and snow roads to prevent the vehicle from sliding and rolling over.
- Pay attention to ventilation and timely defogging. In winter, most people will close the windows to drive, once the air circulation in the compartment is not good, it is easy to make people drowsy, reduce concentration, and the windows are easy to fog up, you can open the windows moderately for ventilation, or adjust the air conditioning to the external circulation.