Van rear-ends Subaru Washington, DC Area

[dash riposki]

This just happened a few hours ago. Heavy traffic, due to the holiday weekend. Traffic slowed down due to a State trooper on the shoulder or the road, ahead, with a disabled or ticketed car. The Van on the right plows into the Subaru, and it looks like it pushed it into the vehicle ahead of it.

Traffic is nuts this weekend. Be careful!

 

[flank]

That was a weird accident. If you look at the van's brake lights, he started braking before the accident.

 

[dash riposki]

Yeah, I even looked again to see if the brake lights were working on the subaru?
also possible he just braked a bit to slow down, and then got distracted.

 

[flank]

I think the Subaru applied the brakes a little late and braked hard, you can see his nose dive a little. The van didn't look beyond the Subaru and crash ensued. The van's nose never dived, the Accord behind him, his nose dived.

 

[dash riposki]

Maybe the brakes on the van suck?

 

[DT MI]

I think the Subaru applied the brakes a little late and braked hard, you can see his nose dive a little. The van didn't look beyond the Subaru and crash ensued. The van's nose never dived, the Accord behind him, his nose dived.

The Subaru was closer to the car in front of it than than van was to the Subaru. Subaru did not hit the car in front until it was hit by the van. Van driver was definitely not paying attention to traffic.

Maybe the brakes on the van suck?

Or the brake operator sucks.

 

[dash riposki]

Oh well, just another good example of why you need to give the idiots room to screw up.
(and not involve you)

 

[BlazinBob]

That's what happens when you're not giving 100% of your attention to driving. Very nice clear video, btw. What cam are you using?

 

[CheckYourLights]

Oh no! A Subaru.

 

[dashy]

Welcome to the motorways sucker...
If you going to drive 2 seconds behind another vehicle be super alert otherwise allow a bigger gap.
When I drive behind more capable vehicles I'll allow even bigger gaps than usual, wether I am in a truck or in a car.
Once I saw a truck rear end another truck that had slowed down just after entering a tunnel(20 m or so), another time a long vehicle driver was unconscious after rear ending a heavy truck a few hundred meters after exiting a tunnel.

 

[dash riposki]

Forgot to indicate which video was from what,but, unlike most Americans, I am working this weekend, and a little busy.


The first 2/3 of the video is from a Mobius A lens, thee rest of the video an A118C.

Both cams are mounted at the top center of the truck windshield, at about the same level, and about 8 inches apart.

 

[Sunny]

Blame the bridge shadow.
Looks like that the shadow confused him.

 

[dashy]

Yep,
who knows, it could be he tried to brake hard and wasn't capable of avoiding the crash, he came off the brakes just before the impact....

 

[dash riposki]

This gets stranger the more you look at the video. It almost looks like the van didn't slow down at all, or much, even though the brake lights came on. I think the shadow under the bridge is a bit of a red herring. Looks more important to us from a distance. Not sure glare was an issue or the A118C video would have been washed out. Thank god it was a Van, and not a tractor trailer.

 

[Street Guardian USA]

Maybe it's another texting while driving case.

https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/canada-texting-and-driving-civic-rear-ends-into-pickup.11568

 

[dashy]

Driver just wasn't ready for a stop....the shadow confused the driver is the best excuse here

 

[dash riposki]

Yes, I'm not sure people realize it, but truckers can see down into your car when you pass. I would guess 1/3 of car drivers are texting, or holding a cell phone.
If you think you are hiding it, and nobody can see, guess again.

Most people drive badly enough, they don't need added distractions.

 

[dashy]

I see about a dozen people with phone in hand every day, I don't bother worry about it, kinda like people littering, best to ignore it and have a better day 99.9% of the time.

 

[DT MI]

Yep,
who knows, it could be he tried to brake hard and wasn't capable of avoiding the crash, he came off the brakes just before the impact....

I saw that too, brake lights are on, then off, then just before he makes contact with the Subaru they come on again. Might be a case where he saw traffic backing up so started braking to slow down (not stop) got distracted (answer phone/text, spilled coffee, change radio station, scratch an itch, ? ) and in that short period traffic stopped.

 

[dashy]

You'll see the silver car standing out from the crowd, but as it goes in the shadows it goes to comoflage mode and the van Driver probably tries to figure out where the traffic in front had dissappear to...