Car accidents are just one of many ways in which a Pittsburgh resident could be injured. While many may not think about it, once an accident occurs, the scene itself can become a dangerous location as well. At times such a scene can prove to be a distraction for drivers leading to crashes with other vehicles. In addition, emergency workers called to the scene to assist can also be at risk.

Two of the most serious issues that lead to problems at car accident scenes are surrounding traffic that is travelling at a speed that is too fast for the conditions and drivers who stop paying attention to the road while trying to ascertain what happened in the accident.

Recognizing this is an issue at car accident scenes throughout the state, PennDOT recently took action to try to make the areas safer. Some rescue workers attended a training geared at keeping those responders safe. We will highlight some of those things here.

One of the things that rescue workers can do is warn traffic that an accident scene is ahead. This is accomplished by erecting signs and other warning materials far enough in front of the accident scene that the drivers know what they are going to encounter and have plenty of time to prepare.

Making sure drivers know just what they are supposed to do when they approach the scene of an auto accident is another thing that could help reduce the number of secondary accidents that occur. This could potentially be accomplished utilizing both online and local news outlets.

Another thing that could be done to potentially reduce the number of car crashes at the scene of previous motor vehicle accidents is for emergency workers to attend to the scene in a timely manner so that it can be cleaned up and regular traffic patterns restored as quickly as possible. If the distraction is not present, it cannot be a reason for a crash.

While in many situations an individual injured in a car accident may be able to take legal action to address the matter, most would agree that preventing the accident in the first place is a much more desirable option.

Source: TribLIVE, "Experts stress safety as priority at the scene of an accident," Shawn Annarelli, April 20, 2013