Indiana Injury And Family Lawyer BlogWinter in Northern Indiana: A Dangerous Time to be Behind the Wheel
Officials with the Indiana Department of Transportation and our Highland car accident lawyers want you to be safe out there during this winter season.
As the temperature drops, the risks for car accidents increase. We’re asking you to review the following tips and to keep this is mind — Ice and Snow, Take it Slow! Be ready for the winter:
-Before you get behind the wheel, you should look into the driving conditions. You should check the weather reports along with the traffic reports. When there’s inclement weather, remember to just take is slow and easy. Rushing only puts you at higher risks for an accident.
-Keep it clean. Before leaving your driveway or your parking spot, you should make sure that the windows, the headlights, the brake lights and your turn signals are cleared off. During the winter, you want to make yourself as visible as possible.
-Be sure to check your windshield wiper blades, the fluids under the hood, the belts, the hoses and the lights are all properly working, A breakdown is dangerous on any day, but especially on a day with bad weather.
-Be on time. Make sure you leave for your destination with plenty of time to spare. By allowing yourself with enough time to get to where you need to be, you can avoid rushing. When drivers start rushing is when accidents happen.
Be careful when it’s wet:
-Whether it’s snow or ice, you want to slow it down. Fortunately, driers zip through these conditions with little regards to the risks. When the roadways are slippery, you want to slow it down and travel under the speed limit.
-Allow yourself with more room when following vehicles in slippery conditions. You need all the time and space to stop when conditions are wet.
-Be on the lookout for black ice. You may never even see black ice. Take it slow when coming up to intersections, bridges, off-ramps and even shady areas. All of these are prime spots for black ice.
-When visibility is reduced, your best bet is to slow down. You want to keep your distance from other vehicles and remain aware of your surroundings.
-It’s important to remember that 4-wheel drive isn’t going to save your life in these kinds of conditions. It might help you to get going faster when accelerating, but it’s not going to do much when braking. Be sure you’re just as cautious in a truck or SUV as you are in a passenger vehicle.
Stay safe around snow plows:
-Make sure you give them plenty of room to work. Don’t pass and don’t tailgate.
-Slow it down around these vehicles. They travel well below the speed limit.
-Remember that these operators can’t always see their entire surroundings as these vehicles have a lot of blind spots. Make sure you can see the driver when traveling near a snow plow.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a car accident, contact Highland Injury Attorney Burton A. Padove for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your case. Call 219-836-2200.
More Blog Entries:
Indiana Texting Ticket Could Result in Higher Insurance Premiums, Indiana Injury and Family Lawyer Blog, November 10, 2012
Highland Traffic Safety Starts with Parents, Indiana Injury and Family Lawyer Blog, September 29, 2012