Weather-Induced Crashes: How to Drive Responsibly in Bad Conditions

Driving in the wintertime or in any bad weather conditions is not recommended. Bad weather conditions like winter cause slick roads and poor visibility due to the snowfall. So there is a high chance of you losing control of your car and getting into an accident. Accidents like this can lead to the question of who is at fault. Hence, it’s essential to have basic winter driving tips.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports, weather is a factor in around 21%, or 1.2 million, of the 6 million car crashes that occur annually. Most weather-related crashes (76%) and rainfall-related crashes (46%) occur on wet pavement. 

Less frequently but just as significantly, they happen on ice pavement (13%), in the presence of snow or sleet (18%), and on snowy or slushy pavement (16%). Hence, proper education and winter driving tips are needed.

A video of an accident involving a pick-up truck colliding with a Tesla that happened in the winter is making the rounds on the internet. The accident was so huge that eyewitnesses were horrified. Now, the question is who is at fault. Is it the weather or the driver? Keep reading to find out some winter driving tips.

The Full Story About the Accident

In the video, a black pickup truck collides with a Tesla, which then collides with another vehicle due to the slippery, icy, and snow-covered road. You can even hear the eyewitnesses’ voices in the background. The pickup truck had a driver, but the Tesla did not have one. So, who bears the blame for the accident? 

Looking at the incident, the weather is to be blamed, but according to Ugo Lord, the superstar attorney, the pickup truck driver is at fault and should be held responsible for the damages.

He said whenever uncontrollable natural forces cause damage to a person or property, it is known as an “Act of God.” However, since the Tesla was empty, the accident happened because the truck was being driven by someone who lost control of it due to the bad weather.

He continued by saying that the truck driver is responsible for the accident because he or she chose to drive in bad weather. He also didn’t have some important winter driving tips.

Winter Driving Tips

As previously said, winter makes it more difficult to drive. Snow and sleet can reduce visibility while driving, and icy and accumulated snow on the ground can make it more difficult to stop or turn. Because of this, car accidents across the United States increase during the winter months. 

Many weather-related accidents could be avoided if drivers acted responsibly and exercised the proper caution under those conditions. 

• Winter weather and road conditions may make driving the posted speed limit dangerous.

• Slow down on snow and ice and allow your vehicle plenty of room to stop on slick pavement. Drivers who fail to do so can rear-end another vehicle and cause serious injury to other drivers and their passengers.

More Winter Driving Tips in Bad Weather Conditions.

Accelerating and decelerating slowly can help drivers avoid sliding and losing control.

• Be familiar with your vehicle’s brakes and how to use them. Generally speaking, if you have anti-lock brakes, apply steady pressure. If you don’t have antilock brakes, pump the brakes to avoid skidding. Slamming on the brakes could cause a car to skid and crash into another vehicle.

• Turn lights on during rain or a snowstorm so the vehicle is more visible to other drivers.

• Completely clear the ice from your entire windshield and side windows before setting out so you can see clearly. In addition to impairing your ability to see the road and traffic around you, snow and ice accumulated after a storm could blow off and strike another vehicle, impairing the other driver’s vision and causing an accident.

When drivers disregard winter driving tips, weather conditions, and road conditions, they put everyone else on the road at risk. These irresponsible drivers and their insurance companies should be held accountable when they drive too fast in road conditions and serious accidents result.

Just because a car crash happened in bad weather does not mean that another driver is not liable for the incident and your losses and injuries. 

If the other driver operated their vehicles recklessly, negligently, or carelessly, causing an accident, they could still be held accountable for the collision, even in poor driving conditions. The only issue in determining liability for a weather-related crash is that proving fault may be more challenging when bad weather is involved. Knowing the basic winter driving tips will reduce the overall occurrence of such accidents.

Some Tips on How to Stay Safe While Driving in Bad Weather Conditions

When driving in bad weather conditions like winter, for example, prepare as though you will experience a roadside emergency. Carry a roadside emergency kit with everything you’ll need for more significant roadside problems and travel delays, such as a flat tire. Some of the items may include an ice scraper, shovel, road flares, maps, etc.

You should also know that snowstorms during winter can leave you stranded. So, if you ever become stuck, keep attention on yourself, your vehicle, and the surrounding area. Here are a few winter driving tips you should take note of

• Remain in your car

• If you are driving at night, turn on your car’s dome light to ensure that rescuers can see you. You can also tie an eye-catching piece of clothing, ideally red, to your door or antenna.

• To avoid hypothermia, cover your whole body with layers of clothes, blankets, and sleeping bags, including your head (without restricting your breathing). When exposed to extremely low temperatures, they risk developing hypothermia, which is an unusually low body temperature.

• Run the engine for roughly ten minutes every hour to power the heating and charge your phone. To let in fresh air and prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, slightly open a window.

• You should also clear snow from your car’s exhaust pipe to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.