The worst of all accidents on Oklahoma highways can be the ones involving several vehicles. Not only are there often injured passengers in the vehicles, but other circumstances such as leaked fuel could be very dangerous. Avoiding involvement in these types of accidents can be difficult when in heavy traffic, and the result is usually not good when a driver makes a navigation error or fails to hit their brakes before crashing into another vehicle. These potential accident scenarios are exactly why all motorists should develop a good working knowledge of defensive driving in congested traffic.
Maintain extra following distance
Almost all multi-vehicle accidents will have evidence of one driver not providing enough space between themselves and a frontal vehicle. This is also known as tailgating. Tailgating evidence can be important in a crash when determining fault, and vehicular control is often determined by the space between vehicles in many accident evaluations.
Observe the speed limit
Observing speed limits is also a vital component of avoiding multiple vehicle accidents. Speed limits are set according to specific criteria that takes into account the amount of time necessary to make effective driving decisions while in transit. Excessive speeds commonly can easily lead to serious crashes in congested driving conditions.
Avoid driving in heavy traffic
Probably the best method of avoiding a multi-car accident is staying away from groups of drivers on the roadway as much as possible. And when it is not possible, stay in the right-hand slow lane unless there is another lane designated for specific speeds. Paying closer attention to other vehicles in heavy traffic is also a general rule for avoiding any auto accident.
Distracted driving is another area where drivers should limit activity when in close traffic, and not just concerning cellphone or device usage. Other activities such as eating while driving are also not advised while moving in traffic.
