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Winter is here and as a New Englander you know this means that snow will fall and slippery driving conditions will follow. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, 24 percent of weather-related vehicle crashes occur on snowy, slushy, or icy pavement and 15 percent actually happen during snowfall or a sleet storm. Subsequently, over 1,300 people are killed and more than 116,800 people are injured during these wintry conditions. As a result, state and local agencies across the nation spend a combined $2.3 billion on snow and ice control operations annually.
How You Can Keep Safe
According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there are three P’s to keep in mind during the winter months; Prepare, protect, and prevent.
There are a few ways to prepare for winter weather conditions. The first thing you can do is maintain your vehicle. Installing new wiper blades and filling your washer fluid can be quick fixes to increase driver visibility if snow is falling or dirty slush is getting on your windshield. Additionally, Allstate recommends testing your tire tread since uneven or excessive tread wearing may affect the way your vehicle breaks on snowy or icy road conditions. Tire pressure also plays an important role in vehicle safety since a drop in tire pressure can increase your chances of uneven tire wear. Finally, planning your route ahead of time can help ensure your safety since you can allocate extra travel time and get familiar with the directions to your location.
Protecting yourself and preventing crashes go hand in hand. In order to protect yourself, you should always buckle up and be alert behind the wheel. Never consume drugs or alcohol prior to or while driving since this can reduce your reaction time and increase your chances of getting into an accident. Furthermore, you should avoid driving while fatigued. You should get plenty of rest before a long trip or stop at a rest area if you are feeling drowsy while behind the wheel. Additionally, it is important to keep extra space between you and other vehicles on the road. During the winter there is an increased probability of black ice on the roads and this can impact how fast your car can break and how well you can maintain your vehicle on the roadway. Moreover, you can protect yourself and prevent an accident by abiding by the speed limit and slowing down on snow and ice to allow your vehicle plenty of room to stop on slick pavements.
Contact Us Today
The injury lawyers at the Bottaro Law Firm, LLC have the skill and experience to represent victims of motor vehi cle crashes, and they have the resources to help protect your legal rights. We will pursue your case at no cost to you until we win. Remember that delay can harm your case. Our legal team is available 24/7 for a free consultation. Give us a call at 401-777-7777.