Earlier this week, a video of a massive car pileup on a Midwestern highway went viral. Though gawking at car accidents is ordinarily a tacky and uncompassionate behavior, viewers of this video may have learned several valuable lessons about motor vehicle safety in the wintertime and in bad weather year-round. Our readers can similarly learn from this tragic 40-car pileup situation.

The video lasts more than five minutes long. Within seconds of the video feed start, the initial source of the crash is captured. However, the pile-up evolves over the span of the entire video. That is the first important lesson that one should take from this scenario. A single car crash on a snowy or slick highway can rapidly turn into a multi-car pileup.

As the feed begins streaming, cars are driving at moderate speeds on a snowy, rural highway. Into the shot speeds a vehicle driving far too fast for conditions. The driver of this vehicle rear-ends a car just ahead of it without any warning. Other vehicles speeding just behind the initial crash skid out of control. Some slam into other vehicles, while others slam into barriers on the side of the road. A few even fly into a nearby field.

This frustrating visual should remind drivers that if conditions are poor, do not speed. Even if the few drivers ahead of you are speeding, they could be forced to stop instantly at any time. Leave enough room between you and the vehicle in front of you to avoid additional collisions behind you.

Finally, this video provides devastating proof that you should stay in your vehicle following an accident unless a fire has broken out or may ignite. Several individuals get out of their vehicles after being hit only to be hit by additional vehicles involved in the pileup. Please, follow these basic safety rules so that a tragedy like this one never occurs again.

Source: Buzzfeed, “40-Car Pileup On Snowy Wisconsin Highway Caught On Camera,” Michael Rusch, Dec. 9, 2013