Rear-end collision
From ArticleWorld
A rear end collision is a type of automobile accident in which one vehicle is hit from behind by another vehicle. This type of accident is often referred to as ‘’rear ended’’ simply because of the location of the impact on the vehicle that is struck. The most common scenario for this type of accident is, vehicle A, which is following vehicle B, fails to slow or stop fast enough when vehicle B hits the brakes. Thus Vehicle A rear ends vehicle B.
Causes
Many factors can contribute to a rear end collision. The most common causes are:
- Sudden deceleration by the leading car.
- Tailgating (staying too close) by the following car.
- Sudden acceleration by the following car.
Sudden deceleration by the leading vehicle usually occurs when the front vehicle slows rapidly to avoid a pedestrian or an obstacle in the road. Tailgating is very common and very dangerous. This is caused by the driver of the trailing vehicle leaving too little space between the vehicles to allow for any type of emergency braking by the lead vehicle. Sudden acceleration by the trailing vehicle usually occurs at intersections where the lead vehicle slows down while the following vehicle accelerates to try and get through the intersection.
Cures
The vehicle in the rear is almost always considered to at fault in the case of a rear end collision. With this in mind, the responsibility for preventing a rear end collision falls on the driver of the trailing vehicle. Rear end collisions can be avoided by keeping a safe braking distance vehicles at all times, by paying attention to what the lead vehicle is doing and when ever possible by paying attention to what is happening in front of the lead vehicle, which allows the driver of the following vehicle to anticipate a sudden stop by the lead vehicle.