Fairfield Freeway Collision
I’m Ed Smith, a Fairfield car accident lawyer. On Tuesday, February 7, 2017, a single-vehicle accident on the northeast side of Fairfield caused traffic delays for commuters traveling to the bay area in the early morning.
Accident Details
The accident occurred only a short time before 5:20 a.m. on the westbound side of highway Interstate 80 about 100 yards before a exit for North Texas Street. When officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) arrived at the scene of the accident, they found that the vehicle (a white Chevrolet pickup truck) had somehow driven off of the road and ended up bottomed out on top of the shoulder guard rail.
Injuries and Traffic
No ambulances appear to have been called to take any victim(s) of the crash to the hospital for medical attention. The crash only involved the white Chevy pickup, but easily could have involved more cars as it occurred during peak commuting hours. The traffic that resulted from the accident caused major slowdowns for commuting cars and backed up vehicles as far the Alamo exit in Vacaville.
Contributing Factors
The cause of the accident was not reported by investigating officers, though it does appear that the driver lost control of their vehicle before veering off of the road. This may indicate that the driver was not paying attention to the road, was intoxicated in some way, or was simply driving recklessly. The accident also could have been the result of another driver, or the result of dangerous driving conditions.
The collision took place during heavy rains, and it is likely that the conditions of the road played some part in causing the driver to lose control. Driving in heavy rain can reduce a driver’s ability to see what is going on around them and can make it harder for drivers to maneuver their cars.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is also an important thing to look out for when driving in rain or on wet roads. Hydroplaning is most likely to occur at speeds exceeding thirty-five miles per hour and can be dealt with by using few safety maneuvers and precautions.
Precautions
Firstly, to prevent hydroplaning, it is important to make sure that you drive cautiously on wet roads, ensure that your tires have tread, never use cruise control in the rain, and avoid bodies of standing water while driving. All of these will reduce the likelihood of losing control of your vehicle.
Maneuvers
Secondly, to recover from hydroplaning, a driver should immediately stop accelerating the vehicle and gently steer in the direction that the car is hydroplaning so that the tires are in line when traction is regained. Pulling over and taking some time to recover your wits after such a harrowing event can help reduce the risk of erratic driving after such an event.
Fairfield Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Fairfield car accident attorney. If you, or someone close to you has been seriously injured or died in an accident, call me at (707) 564-1900 for free, friendly advice. Or, contact me toll-free at (800) 404-5400.
For over 35 years, I have been offering my assistance to Fairfield residents in recovering fair compensation in cases involving wrongful death and personal injury.
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