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Traffic accidents on highways while stopping or parking cars are no longer uncommon. One of the main causes is the lack of use of reflective triangles by many drivers when stopping or parking.
On the highway, the traffic speed is high, and the time for participants to notice and react to situations is limited. This has resulted in many accidents where drivers were unable to avoid parked vehicles on the side of the road.
A tragic accident in 2016 on the Hanoi – Hai Phong highway serves as a typical example. The initial cause was determined to be the fault of the driver who stopped the car on the highway to change a tire without placing a warning sign. Despite the presence of another person outside the vehicle to perform the task of warning, a tanker transporting gasoline collided with the stationary car due to a lack of observation.
Most recently, there was an accident between a passenger car and a truck on the Cam Lo – La Son highway on the evening of March 10, 2024. The initial cause was also attributed to the truck stopping and occupying part of the driving lanes without putting up a warning sign as required.
What is a reflective triangle? What is its purpose?
Reflective triangles are warning signs for cars that are used to alert other drivers of a stopped or disabled vehicle in the middle of the road. They help ensure the safety of everyone on the road by enabling other drivers to recognize and respond to the situation promptly.
Reflective triangles are available on the market for a price starting from 80,000 VND, depending on the material used.
For drivers, when encountering a problem on the highway that requires them to stop, it can be extremely dangerous, especially at night. Other vehicles traveling at high speeds may not notice that your vehicle has come to a stop. Therefore, the use of warning signs when stopping or parking becomes crucial for other vehicles to take notice and detect the situation from a distance. According to drivers, reflective triangles are like a “life-saving charm” whenever they have to stop on the road, especially at night.
Instructions for placing reflective triangles when encountering a problem
When encountering a situation that requires you to stop your car on the side of the road, the first thing you should do is quickly open the box containing the reflective triangle and unfold its legs to stand it at an appropriate distance behind your vehicle, making it easily visible to other road users.
In case your car breaks down on the highway at night, the specific instructions are detailed in the “Driving Techniques” book (published by the Ministry of Transport in 2018, pages 89-90).
Specifically, when your car has a technical problem on the highway, the driver needs to turn on the hazard lights, check the safety around the vehicle, and when conditions permit, quickly move the car to the emergency stopping lane (note that when there are multiple lanes, switch lanes gradually, not abruptly), and place the warning signs to alert other vehicles.
The minimum distance for placing the warning signs when encountering a problem is 100m during the day and 200m at night. The warning signs must be placed at the rear of the vehicle for one-way roads and both in front and behind the vehicle for two-way roads.
To ensure safety when participating in traffic, the Traffic Patrol and Control Department advises drivers to strictly comply with traffic regulations such as avoiding overtaking, staying within the designated lane, driving at the prescribed speed, and not driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The department also recommends that vehicle owners equip their vehicles with at least three reflective triangles or three safety vests. When encountering a problem, drivers should immediately place the reflective triangles or wear the safety vests to warn others at a minimum distance of 50m on national roads and 100m on highways.
“Vehicle owners should provide reflective vests for drivers and assistants to wear when dealing with incidents on the road, especially during dark, foggy, and nighttime conditions,” added a representative from the Traffic Patrol and Control Department.
Source: Business Today