San Diego is known for its beautiful weather and perpetual sunshine. But as local residents know, we are still prone to overcast, drizzle-filled days and even – on occasion – a downpour. Even despite the intermittent rain showers, we are still, for the most part, fortunate to enjoy sunshine almost year round.
With our good weather, though, also come some drawbacks. For instance, because San Diego drivers become accustomed to good weather, the stakes are high when wet weather arrives. In fact, car accidents in San Diego are most frequent during wet weather. That’s why it’s never been more important to take extra precaution and care when driving on damp roads. A car accident in Poway tragically reminds all residents of how important it is to reduce speeds and increase awareness when traveling in wet weather.
On May 25, a head-on collision in Poway killed four people and injured three others according to reports at Fox 5 San Diego. The accident occurred on the wet roadways of State Route 67 at 10 a.m. – a time of day when visibility can often be compromised due to direct sunlight bolstered by wet, reflective roadways.
According to authorities, a Chevy Silverado truck headed northbound lost control, careening into an oncoming lane at high speed. The vehicle collided with two Toyota sedans in the southbound lane near Rockhouse Road, the California Highway Patrol said.
The Poway car accident resulted in four fatalities and three serious injuries. Those who survived the tragic accident were immediately transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening personal injury.
Authorities are unclear as to the actual cause of the accident although speeding has been considered the primary cause according to witnesses. That, in combination with wet roads, is dangerous– and all too often, our personal injury attorneys in San Diego find that speeding and wet roads lead to serious injury and even wrongful death.
Wet weather and speeding don’t mix
No matter how safe you think you are or how cautious a driver you may be, it’s never safe to speed. And adding an unsafe element of wet roadways and slippery conditions makes speeding even more dangerous and risky. Often, when drivers speed on wet roadways, an accident usually follows.
Avoid a car accident and follow these guidelines in rainy weather:
Drive as conditions permit. Just because the speed limit is a certain number doesn’t mean you should be driving it. In other words, if conditions are too dangerous to drive the speed limit, reduce your speed to accommodate the weather. If it’s rainy, it’s generally a good idea to reduce your speed.
Don’t tailgate and leave plenty of room ahead. Rear-end car accidents in San Diego happen often and our personal injury attorneys recommend that you use at least 3 seconds between you and the vehicle ahead. In fact, depending on the conditions, you may want to increase the distance between you and the vehicle ahead by five or more seconds.
Keep your vehicle in sound condition. Always make sure your vehicle is equipped for rainy or inclement weather. Check your tires for bald spots, replace your windshield wipers regularly, and make sure your headlights are in proper operational order.
About the Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC
Michael Pines, founder, is a personal injury attorney in San Diego who specializes in car accident injury and automobile accident insurance claims. If you have been injured in a car accident, call the law firm now at 1-800-655-6585 for a no-cost legal consultation. You can also submit the details of your case online.
About Michael PinesMichael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.
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