Two Separate Motor Vehicle Accidents Reported on Merritt Parkway in Connecticut

CT- The ncadvertiser.com writes that two crashes occurred on the Merritt Parkway this week. The collisions both took place in the northbound lanes. The accidents both involved multiple vehicles and were reported in the mid-afternoon.*

One of the collisions led to the closure of the right and center lanes, and the other closed the left lanes.

In many cases, multiple crashes take place around the same time. This is because some percentage of collisions occur as the result of distractions caused by another wreck or because of congestion that took place as the result of another accident. 

When a collision takes place after an earlier incident, it is called a secondary crash. One study performed to identify the chances of a secondary crash indicated that about 9.2 percent of all vehicle accidents are secondary to another incident. More than six percent are tertiary crashes. 

The results suggest that overall, collisions could be reduced if responders were able to more quickly clear the scene of an earlier crash. In fact, the risk of a secondary collision rises about one percent for every two or three minutes that the traffic is congested by the earlier incident. 

While traffic congestion in itself can lead to a greater chance of a collision, another risk factor is rubbernecking. Rubbernecking is one type of distracted driving. While most people associate distracted driving with smartphones, anything that takes a motorist’s eyes or focus away from the roadway is a distraction that can increase the risk of that person being involved in an accident. 

When an earlier crash leaves a scene involving wreckage, responders, and other spectacles on the road, people are naturally inclined to look. However, by looking at the scene of a crash, people make it more likely that they will be in one too. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or a family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Sources:

https://www.ncadvertiser.com/local/article/Accidents-causing-northbound-delays-on-the-15532526.php

http://people.virginia.edu/~njg2q/secondary.pdf

https://www.progressive.com/lifelanes/on-the-road/auto-rubbernecking/