Winter is here, and if it is not your first winter in the Northeast, you know bad weather is on the horizon. Snow, ice, and puddles on the roadway can make it more difficult to navigate and increase your chance of being involved in a collision and potentially suffering an injury. In fact, driving in winter weather is more deadly for drivers than hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods.
Although it can be tempting, you simply can not spend the entire winter in your home to avoid a car accident. You need to drive to get to work and to run errands. Reduce your chance of being involved in an accident by learning how to handle winter weather.
Keeping Yourself Safe in the Snow
When there is snow on the road, slow down by at least 10 miles per hour. Drive carefully by giving other vehicles sufficient following distance. Before turning or braking, let your car slow naturally by taking your foot off the gas.
Here is how you get out of the snow when your vehicle is stuck: Get out of the car and dig out around its tires. Then, get back into the car and see if you can rock it out of place by gently applying the gas, then backing off, then applying the gas again to build momentum to get out of the snow.
Handling Heavy Rain and Sleet
Rain and sleet make the road slick and make it hard for you to see. The roadway is the most slick just after a rainstorm begins because the oils in the roadway float to the surface. If possible, choose to start driving after it has been raining for a while. Just like with snow, drive extra carefully in the rain and sleet.
What to do When There is Black Ice on the Road
Black ice is especially dangerous because often, you can not see it. As you approach areas where ice could be, like dips in the roadway and potholes where water can accumulate, slow down. Black ice is not just dangerous because it is slippery; it can reduce your visibility by reflecting sunlight during the day and light from your headlights at night.
Darkness Just Adds to the Challenge
Snow and ice on the road make it difficult to stay in your lane and keep control over your vehicle. After dark – and winter nights are far longer than summer nights – your visibility is reduced even further. Keep this in mind and drive more slowly and cautiously at night.
Injured in a Winter Car Accident? An Experienced Long Island Car Accident Lawyer can Help
In bad weather, your chance of being injured in a car accident is magnified. That does not mean your right to recover compensation for your damages is reduced – you are still entitled to file a PIP claim or a bodily injury claim, depending on your case. Contact our team of Long Island personal injury lawyers at the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP today to schedule your free legal consultation with us.
