17. Snow.

Each winter, snowfall makes for treacherous road conditions and an increased risk for car accidents. As our car accident attorneys know, traffic accident statistics always increase in the winter months, so if you live in a cold-weather state, you will need to be prepared for it.

Avoiding Car Accidents When Driving Through The Snow

Since snow is one of the top causes of car accidents, it is important that you know how to drive your vehicle when the roads are covered in white powdery fluff. Here are six tips to help you arrive home safely while driving during the snow:

1. Whenever Possible, Do Not Drive In the Snow. Only drive in snow when you cannot avoid it. This is the best way to avoid a car accident.

2. Upgrade With Either Tire Chains or Snow Tires. This is something that you will need to take care of ahead of time. If you live in state in which snow is a possibility or are planning a trip to one that does, upgrading your tires should be a priority before the season starts.

3. Increase Your Visibility. You will need to be more alert than you might normally be in good weather as you will also need to be on the look-out for other potential car accidents.

Be sure to clear snow off all your windows and your roof before beginning your trip. You will need a special ice scraper to properly clean off not just your windshield but all windows around your car.
It would be prudent to make sure that you have plenty of windshield wiper fluid and wipers that are in good condition.

4. Drive Extra Slow. Since driving in the snow causes more slips and skids than normal roadway conditions, you will need to be extra careful to avoid car accidents.

5. Should You Start To Skid, Remain Calm And Steer Your Car Into It. Release your brake and honk your horn to alert other drivers’ attention. This may allow them time to get out of your way and help you avoid a potential car accident because of lack of control.

6. Be Especially Careful of Black Ice. Black ice is like invisible ice. Black ice that looks exactly like the surface your car is traveling on, but while you may think you are driving over an asphalt surface, you are driving over a sheet of ice on the road which can easily cause your car to skid.

Thorough preparation is most of the battle against snowy conditions. If you take the proper precautions before hitting the roads during a snow storm, your chances of avoiding a car accident are that much better.

Call Our Lawyers If You’ve Been Injured From A Car Accident In The Snow

Experience often helps drivers perform better in dangerous situations. If you are new to these types of roadway conditions, we recommend that you drive slowly, maintain a safe distance between other cars and allow for extra time on your journey. Everyone remembers when the snow was fun as a kid, but it can be a hazardous when it comes to car accidents.

If you’ve been injured in a car accident that was caused by snow then call us now at 1-800-655-6585 or click here for a FREE consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer. Since 1992, our San Diego law office has been geared primarily towards auto accident claims. We know how the insurance companies work, so let our insider knowledge help you in your time of need.

Most Recent Blog Post

[caption id="attachment_21715" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Photo Credit: The San Diego Union Tribune"][/caption] Last week, we reported on a car accident in San Diego that resulted out of alleged teen street racing. In new developments, the 18-year-old driver charged with the death of the two teenagers involved in the street racing has pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaughter among four other charges according to reports at the San Diego Union Tribune. The news follows the earlier arrest of another 16-year-old driver that was taken into custody on similar charges. Just shortly after his arraignment, Michael Johnson, the 18-year-old driver of a Volvo S40, said, according to his attorney, that he is not the responsible party in the tragic San Diego accident fatalities that occurred April 4. Accident reports indicate that Johnson was returning from a spring break beach party in La Jolla when he was allegedly involved in a street racing contest with another teen driver – the unidentified 16-year-old driver of a Volkswagen Passat whose name has not been released since he is a minor. According to Deputy District Attorney Kristen Spieler, the two vehicles were zigzagging across lanes at speeds reaching up to a staggering 100 m.p.h. The 16-year-old driver in the Passat lost control over the vehicle, causing the car to flip over several times across multiple lanes of the road. Two passengers, Anthony Foreman, 18, and Jayli Campbell, 16, were thrown from the Passat and died at the scene of the accident. Two passengers survived the crash. Charlotte McQuillen, survived the accident although she suffered serious injury as a result of the collision including reports that say the teen will have to recover from traumatic brain injury. Anthoney Taylor, 16, also survived the crash although his injuries are unclear at this time. Johnson did not flee the scene of the accident according to police reports and cooperated with authorities once officers assessed the scene of the collision. The teen has no prior criminal record, although authorities say his vehicle was found containing a small amount of marijuana. Johnson is being charged with intoxicated driving, although his lawyer says there were no field sobriety tests to confirm the teen’s alleged intoxication. Teen driving: reminders for concerned parents Last week, we blogged on actions parents can take to prevent teen car accidents. Tips include:

Sign a parent-teen contract. Download your free contract now.
Enforcing the rules. Every teen driver needs to know that rules are there for a purpose, and when they are broken, consequences will follow.
Have a DUI backup plan. As most parents can attest, there are many instances when teen drivers run into problems that supersede their know-how and maturity. Drinking is one of those problems. In cases of emergency, your teen should have an open-door policy where they feel safe to call you when they need help – such in the case of drunk driving or driving while intoxicated.

About the Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC The Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC are specialists in car accident injury. Every personal injury attorney in our San Diego office works hard to seek maximum recovery for every injured client. Your case is handled without any out-of-pocket costs, so do not hesitate to speak to a San Diego personal injury lawyer today for a free legal evaluation. Call us at 1-800-655-6585.