Indiana Personal Injury Lawyer Talks About Bad Weather Driving

In my experience, auto accidents do not just happen.  Thus, to call car collisions accidents is a misnomer.  What I mean is they are collisions usually caused by one of the drivers failure to follow the rules of the road.  What about driving in bad weather, does that mean the collision is an accident, meaning no one is at fault?  Well, every case is very fact sensitive, but in my experience most bad weather collisions, which cause serious personal injury and even wrongful death, are usually caused by someone’s failure to follow the rules of the road.  One common negligent cause of bad weather collisions is being in too great a hurry.  One thing everyone knows for sure when they are driving in ice and snow is that they are driving on ice and snow.   Therefore, they must slow down.  Speed limits on roads are devised to keep traffic safe and moving under optimal weather conditions.  However, they do  not mean that when the weather is bad that it is safe to travel at that speed.  When ice and snow are on the road, slow down.  Make sure you have enough room between you and the other car so that you can stop, or evade a collision.

A common negligent act is to drive with bald or significantly worn tires.  We all know that tire treads give us better control in wet conditions as well as on snow and ice.  If the tread is worn, or the tire is bald, you will have less traction and the chances of causing a collision are markedly increased.  Serious personal injury including amputation, paralysis, broken bones and dislocations and brain injury occur when a driver loses control because tires are worn.  Drivers must check their tire treads and change their tires according to manufacturer recommendations.

Never assume that we are at the mercy of the elements.  There are many things we can do to protect ourselves, our families and others using the road.  A little thought and a little caution will go far to keep everyone safe.