Surveillance video captured a sedan reversing in the outermost left lane of the Delhi-Dehradun highway on 26/6, near Saharanpur city, Uttar Pradesh. An SUV, traveling in the same lane, approached rapidly and collided directly with the sedan.
The impact was so severe that the sedan hit the left barrier before sliding across and stopping near the median. Meanwhile, the SUV overturned due to the collision.
The accident resulted in the immediate deaths of four family members traveling in the sedan. Three other individuals sustained severe injuries, and both vehicles were extensively damaged.
According to NDTV, this accident offers a crucial lesson for all highway users.
The most significant error in this incident was the decision to reverse on a highway. Highways are specifically engineered for continuous, high-speed traffic, often with maximum speeds ranging from 100 to 120 km/h.
When a driver reverses, they create an insurmountable speed differential. For instance, if a vehicle reverses at 15 km/h while an approaching car travels at 100 km/h, the relative closing speed becomes 115 km/h. This speed disparity makes it impossible for human reaction times and vehicle braking distances to adequately compensate.
The unwavering rule for highway driving is clear: if an exit is missed, accept the minor financial and time losses and proceed to the next interchange. Sudden braking, stopping, reversing, or performing U-turns on a high-speed highway invariably leads to catastrophic accidents.
My Anh
