Many California drivers have little to no experience driving in inclement weather like severe thunderstorms or blizzards. We’re blessed with good weather most of the year, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll never be traveling and need to drive in bad weather. At Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas, we are here to help if you’ve been in a car accident but we also want to help you prevent accidents in the first place. Read on to for some tips and then contact us at 909-982-0707 if you’ve already been injured in a car accident.
Slow down in bad weather
The number one way you can avoid an accident in bad weather is to lower your speed. The reality is that the faster you drive, the more likely you are to crash. This is true every day of the year, but when the weather is bad, it’s even more important to consider. The faster you’re driving, the harder it will be to stop, the longer it will take to stop, and the more challenging it will be to control your vehicle. If you get into an accident at a higher speed you also greatly increase the chances of a catastrophic injury.
Keep your hands on the wheel
It’s common for drivers to use only one hand when they’re on the interstate. While it may seem more comfortable at the time, remember that if you only have one hand then you only have half the control you’d have with both hands on the wheel. You may think you can get your other hand to the wheel but in many cases, the difference between an accident and a non-accident is literally a split second.
Keep an eye out for sharp terms
Roads can get slippery whether the weather in question is rain, snow, or sleet. Sharp turns that surprise you could cause you to lose control and drift into oncoming traffic. Slow down when you see turns so that you’ll have better control and so that you have more time to react to whatever’s around the bend.
Leave plenty of space between you and other vehicles
Don’t ever drive close to the bumper of another car – especially in bad weather. If you’re too close, the driver in front of you could be uncomfortable and as a result may not have their eyes on the road. If they have to stop for some reason, the more space you have between them, the more time you’ll have to stop and the lower the chances will be for a rear-end accident.
Sometimes the answer is to stop driving
It can be difficult to decide when it’s time to brave it and when it’s time to stop driving. If visibility is so poor that you can barely see, then it’s best to pull off and stay somewhere safe until the weather passes. If the roads are slick, or if you see many cars in the ditches, then you should stop driving.
If you’ve already been in an accident then your next call should be to Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707. We are here to help you get the compensation you deserve.
