Tips on Driving in Inclement Weather
No matter where you live, even in sunny California, driving in inclement weather cannot always be avoided. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), bad weather conditions are responsible for over 500,000 crashes and 2,000 fatalities every winter season. Yet, year after year, families set out to explore new places, ski, visit relatives and enjoy the holidays and other festive occasions with friends and family. Commuters face the same inclement weather challenges too. Let’s look at some tips on safe driving every motorist needs to know.
Safe Driving in Bad Weather – Prep Your Vehicle
Driving in bad weather may be a given, but it does not mean that accidents need to happen. There are things a driver can do to decrease the risk of a crash by observing the following tips before setting out:
- Get your car ready: Few people think about prepping their vehicle for inclement weather driving. They should:
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- Make sure your windshield wipers are in good working order and free of cracked blades.
- Make sure your headlights are clean.
- Keep an emergency kit in the vehicle. This should include blankets, boots, warm clothes, dried food, water, dog leashes, a flashlight, flares, jumper cables, duct tape, a tow rope, and an ice-scraper.
- Make sure you have at least a half tank of gas.
- Check the treads of your tires. Take a Lincoln penny. If the president’s head is visible, your tires are worn and need to be replaced. Worn tires cannot grip the road surface properly.
- Slow down. You should decrease your speed. Leave in plenty of time. If you are running late, you may take unnecessary risks.
- Look for alternate routes ahead of time.
- Take a paper map with you.
Car Trouble
For different reasons, cars tend to break down in inclement weather. Make sure you and your vehicle stay safe by doing the following:
- Pull over to the side of the road, and put flares around the vehicle to alert other drivers you are there. It is wrong to think you will be easily seen since rain and snow affect visibility.
- If you don’t have flares, put your emergency flashers on, and tie a red or white cloth to your radio antenna or hang it outside a window.
Driving in Snow and Ice
- Go at a slower speed to allow for the poor traction on slippery roads. Experts say to decrease the speed by a minimum of 10 mph.
- Test your brakes. Whether you have anti-lock brakes or not, it is good to practice in an empty lot to get a feel for how they act on snow or ice.
- Look out for black ice. This glaze can make it impossible to stop quickly. You’ll see it as a glaze on the road at night. Black ice is most often found in shady areas without sunlight and intersections due to the drains. It also occurs quickly on bridges.
- Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Your vehicle will not have the same traction you have on dry roads.
- Don’t tailgate. You should leave extra room between your vehicle and the one in front of you. This gives you ample time to slow down.
- Handle a skid intelligently. When your car is skidding, you should release pressure on the brakes and the gas pedal, and try to go in the direction of the skid. Of course, this is a problem if the skid is taking you where you don’t want to be. However, if you are skidding towards the right, turn the wheel slightly to the right. The effect this will have is to cancel the skid, and your car will go straight.
Driving in Fog
There are a few things you should do when driving in fog:
- Do not use your high beams.
- Use the white line on the side of the road to help you guide your way.
- Use turn signals earlier than you normally would, so the cars behind you will be on alert that you are turning.
- Don’t drive too close to other vehicles.
Driving in Rain:
Rain makes it more difficult to see and be seen by other drivers. Follow the tips below:
- It is important to have good windshield wipers.
- Make sure you use your lights.
- Try not to drive through puddles. This can make you lose control.
- If possible, use the middle lane. The majority of the water pools at either end of the road.
- Always make sure you have enough room to stop.
How an Attorney Can Help If an Inclement Weather Accident Happens
Our firm understands the problems of driving in inclement weather. We face the same perils every winter. In order to obtain the compensation you need, we must prove that negligence was involved. That is why we dispatch our investigative team to the accident site to look for reckless driving patterns that caused your injury. We interview witnesses, use accident reconstruction techniques, and obtain video footage of the crash from traffic and security cameras. Our investigators also comb through police reports to check for inaccuracies. Once the data is amassed, they release it to our legal team, who use it to build a robust case in your favor.
Personal Injury Lawyers in Carmichael
I’m Ed Smith, a Carmichael personal injury lawyer. If you are injured by a negligent driver, we can help. Call us at (916) 921-6400 or at (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice. You can also reach us online.
I’ve helped Carmichael residents since 1982 obtain the compensation they deserve in car accidents, motorcycle, pedestrian and truck crashes as well as wrongful deaths.
I am a member of the following organizations:
To learn more about my practice, please visit the following pages:
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/driving-highway-blizzard-storm-2053388/
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