The risk of an accident in tunnels is about half that of an open road accident. The most important reason for this is that drivers behave more carefully in the tunnel due to the change in normal driving conditions.
However, the risks that may occur in the tunnel as a result of an accident are much higher. Although accidents resulting in fire are less frequent than traffic accidents, the potential for disaster with fire and smoke that may occur inside the tunnel will be higher than in a normal vehicle accident.
Do we get nervous going through tunnels?
In road tunnels, drivers often slow down to accommodate the dim light situation (“black hole”) as they approach and exit the tunnel entrance and increase their position near the tunnel right wall while driving.
In addition, entering a closed environment and sudden changes in the visual environment cause the driver’s pupils to dilate and the heart rate to increase. Studies have concluded that as a result of all this, drivers feel tension and anxiety, which has a negative impact on road safety.
Short tunnels are more dangerous!
According to the statistical studies, it was found that short tunnels exhibit higher accident rates than long tunnels.
It has been determined that these accidents mostly occur in short tunnels due to sudden deceleration/acceleration in the entrance and exit zones, and in long tunnels, they occur in the middle of the tunnel due to reduced attention deficit.
The most common types of accidents in the tunnel:
Rear-end collisions in tunnels are known to account for 70% of all accidents based on Singapore CTE tunnel information in 2006–2008.
According to police research, tunnel accidents are often caused by drivers’ aggressive lane changes and high speeds, causing rear-end collisions.
The most dangerous scenario that can happen to you in the tunnel: Tunnel fire!
Fire in tunnels generates heat and toxic fumes that can kill those in the tunnel. It is also more difficult for firefighters and ambulances to reach the scene of such accidents.
A strong fire may cause complete or partial closure of the tunnel as it can also cause great damage to the structural condition of the tunnel.
Loss of life in highway tunnel fires has a strong relationship with heavy vehicles. Approximately 71% of the casualties in tunnel fires occur in fires involving heavy vehicles, 24% by normal vehicles, and 5% by trucks or trucks.
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