Over-200 Vehicle Pile-up on Bridge in Zhengzhou, China Leaves One Dead

A sudden build-up of fog around the Zhengxin Huanghe Bridge in China has caused a massive pile-up involving over 200 vehicles.The bridge is a major overpass over the Yellow River, connecting Zhengzhou and Xinxiang.

Videos and images posted online and shared by state media showed all types of vehicles, including cars, vans and lorries, in a crumpled state and facing all directions, evidence of the drivers attempting to evade collision.  Many passengers were left injured and trapped in their vehicles and on the bridge.

Video edited on Kapwing

Watch the full aerial footage from AFP here.

State media, CCTV, reported that 11 fire trucks and 66 fire rescue workers were sent to the scene. Looking at the recordings of the scene, it is amazing that there was only one fatality, at least according to the news media.

According to the meteorological service, visibility had dropped to as low as 200 meters on that fateful Wednesday morning.

Fog is one of the main causes of accidents, particularly because it distorts the driver’s perception of speed, distance and movement. Due to a lower contrast between vehicles (yours and those around you) and the surroundings, drivers are unable to properly judge the relative speed of vehicles on the road. Blurry objects might be mistaken for being farther ahead than they really are and it’s harder to distinguish moving objects from stationary ones.

If ever you find your vehicle suddenly enveloped in fog, turn on your fog lights, which are designed to illuminated the immediate area around your vehicle in bad weather condition, as well as help other drivers see your vehicle better.  And, of course, go slow.