The new law has gone into effect for the state of Indiana and is going to help all those that are involved in a vehicle accident while on the road. Starting the law means that those involved in an accident will have to move their vehicles from the roadway right after.
This is to reduce the amount of damage that is done during the accident, while also keeping the flow of traffic going. Additionally, many people have gotten hurt, including police officers, during incidents like this when they take place in the middle of the roadways.
The rule comes with exceptions, and keep in mind that this law is being put in place to ensure the safety of all those involved:
If you have hazardous materials in the vehicle that you’re driving, you do not have to move it. Not only might the materials be compromised should you, but they could have been damaged in the wreck. Another rule is that if someone is severely hurt, dies or is trapped inside the vehicle, then it does not have to be moved and response crews should handle it from there.
It has been shown that over 20% of all accidents happen because of the result of an earlier accident in the area. A lot of times, this is an accident that happens because the person does not realize there is an accident up ahead. The chances of having another crash happen in the location increases by 3% if the area is not cleared, and 18% of these secondary crashes turn deadly.
One of the biggest problems that the law has encountered is through insurance companies. They tell their clients not to move the vehicles if there is an accident. A lot of people are afraid that they’re going to be in trouble or not be covered for the damages if they do move the vehicle in the event that this happens. Not only that, but they might not be able to tell who is at fault if the vehicles have moved from the original crash area.
This is not the case. Law enforcement officials will be able to tell what happened during the crash by speaking with witnesses, while also checking out the damages. While police are not looking at fining everyone, they do expect that there will be a few fines with the new law, which can come with fines up to $500. It is to prevent secondary accidents from happening, keeping everyone safe.
