Fortunately, no one was injured in these accidents. And the Dekra company received a lot of useful information, which it willingly shared.
In places of narrowing, experts strongly recommend traveling at a flow rate and not overtake passing cars
In places of narrowing, experts strongly recommend traveling at a flow rate and not overtake passing cars. In places of narrowing, experts strongly recommend traveling at a flow rate and not overtake passing cars.
The name "Dekra" in Russia is not at the hearing, but this is a very respected name with a half-century history. There are 180 companies in the Dekra company, whose activities are mostly related to automobiles: inspection, certification and consulting. Dekra also conducts independent crash tests, but not with the goal of making the car safer, but to show what the consequences of neglected operation of cars, violation of traffic rules, negligence or inattention. These data serve as the basis for recommendations to reduce the risk of accidents and the severity of their consequences - both for drivers and for services operating roads. This year, the leitmotif was chosen a familiar problem - repair work on the road. They dedicated three crash tests. But before telling about them, a couple of thoughts that the press conference brought before the demonstration blows.
Their customs
Your humble servant, on duty, had the opportunity to travel more than one thousand kilometers along the roads of Europe. Each time I return home, I am horrified. This is not even about such egregious cases as open hatches or bottomless pits - the organization of road repair in Russia itself has been badly delivered. How many of us are not familiar with this “oil painting”: in the left lane there is work with a chipper, and only the faded “30” sign on a standing truck warns about this. The risk of trouble in this case is high not only for the drivers, but also for the repairmen themselves! For contrast: in Switzerland, the cars of the latter are protected by cushion barriers that reduce impact energy. And a truck with an automatic installer of cone guards in 260 minutes sets 260 “milestones” at a distance of 5 km. Moreover, the cones are also collected automatically: the car just goes in reverse. The truck also applies a yellow rubber band to the fast rows in front of problem areas. When a car runs over such a markup, a loud vibration occurs, which will make a gapeous driver catch on. Such measures are more than justified: the repaired area is clearly marked, and there are no extra people on the road. According to statistics, severe accidents are not uncommon precisely on routes familiar to drivers.
In the area of particular risk, repairs associated with driving into the oncoming lane and S-shaped detours. Repairmen should pay special attention to signs, because the driver, as soon as he sees the cherished “end of restrictions,” immediately presses the gas. This leads to a large difference in speeds in such areas and, as a result, increases the likelihood of an accident.
But it is naive to blame the road builders for all our troubles: the behavior of the drivers themselves in Russia is ugly. We ignore the markup, do not comply with the high-speed mode, and we really do not care about the stopping rules.
Have you ever seen buddies whose cars, flickering with emergency lights, are bulging from the side of the road onto the road? What kind of necessity forced them to stand on the highway (or even on the highway!) - a breakdown? I bet, in most cases, they discuss where it is better to buy a barbecue or how not to slip a turn to the fish lake. Moreover, the conversation is "more convenient" to lead from the driver's side, standing directly on the road.
It’s impossible to imagine anything like this in, say, Germany. The police will immediately “accept you”, they will write out a fine such that it’s unlikely to remain on the barbecue. On any road, even in the Russian outback, you can always find a ramp or pocket where the stop will be safe.
Repair is also needed for the car. If the car really breaks down or you punctured the wheel, try to reach the straight section, which is clearly visible. Put a reflective vest in the car - in the cabin, and not in the niche for the spare wheel, which is littered with a mountain of country bags. And feel free to wear it when exiting the car! Such vests saved many lives.
Turn on the alarm immediately, as soon as you realize that something is wrong with the machine. Set the emergency triangle 100 meters from the bumper. Remember: at a speed of 120 km / h, a passing car flies 33 m in a second - give the other driver at least three seconds to maneuver. In anticipation of technical assistance, move off the road, no matter how uncomfortable you may be in the heat or in the rain.
PASS, PLEASE, CORKSCREW
We are stuck in traffic jams and tend to blame everyone but their own selves for their occurrence. Let's see who really is to blame. Of course, there are objective reasons: ups and downs, turns, weather conditions. And of course, repairs and narrowings lead to serious difficulties. There is no way to repair the roads, but the impact on the flow can be minimized, therefore, rules have long been adopted in Europe: the length of the repaired sections should not exceed 12 km, the distance between them should be at least 5 km. The flow rate is taken into account. Swiss and German standards state: lengthy work and narrowing of the three-lane road are possible only in exceptional cases and only if no more than 3, 000 cars pass through it at rush hour. A corresponding warning should be present at least 2 km to the place of repair.
And what is required of you and me? Again, I'm not talking about medieval savagery - driving along dusty roadsides. I marvel at the people who drive their wives and children through holes and dust, not sparing their nerves and lungs. You only lock the highway tighter!
Oddly enough, while maintaining a stable speed, we are able to reduce the time spent in traffic. Do not slow down and do not accelerate sharply: in this way you slow down the rhythm of movement, causing a chain reaction, burn extra gas and just get tired. More attention is paid to several cars ahead of you - and now you and the stream are driving more calmly. Do not overtake unnecessarily (one of the worst violations on German autobahns is overtaking on the right). Rebuild for the congress in advance and, by turning on the direction indicator, clearly indicate your intentions. Brake smoothly, remember: stopping a multi-ton truck following your car is not so easy. When leaving the highway, use the acceleration lane as much as possible to join the stream at its own speed. And of course, there are universal norms of behavior. Keep your distance and be more tolerant! Imagine that a neighbor in the country is blinking in front of you. You let him go, don't you?
CRASH TESTS
Situation one
typical in Europe: a truck with workers arrives on the autobahn. A special sandwich block is installed at the back, which absorbs impact energy. The team is ready - start!
one
The old Ford Puma, driven by a cable along the guides, accelerates to 75 km / h and crashes into a block. After a couple of seconds, everything is over, experts take up the work. Mannequins are not equipped with sensors, so there is no exact data on the health of the “driver”. Everything seems to be fine: the door opened easily, the front panel is in place, the pillow worked. But the multi-ton truck from the impact moved almost half a meter away! Nevertheless, the incident is relatively safe for workers who are doing their job in front of the truck.
Conclusion: deformable pillows for repair machines significantly reduce the likelihood of serious consequences of an accident. They are commonly used in Switzerland, but are much less common in Germany. In Russia, alas, have not been noticed.
Situation Two:
in the right lane the car broke down. The driver opens the hood and tries to solve the problem. A child is fastened in the back seat. But the driver did not properly indicate the stop - he put the warning sign too close to the car.
2
As a result, one of the cars of a passing direction notices the standing Volkswagen Polo late and crashes into it at a speed of 55 km / h. There follows a dramatic flight of the Volkswagen driver through a concrete dividing by more than 10 m. A fatal outcome, alas, is very likely. The child survived in the seat, although the rear of the car was badly damaged. The car, having hit, was less affected, the risk of injuries to its driver and passenger is low thanks to belts and pillows.
Conclusion:
in the event of a breakdown, immediately put on a retroreflective vest, immediately drop people out of the passenger compartment and, if possible, take them outside the dividing fence, put an emergency stop sign at a sufficient distance.
Situation Three:
as a result of the repair, the two-lane road narrows and acquires an S-shape.
