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At Stillman and Friedland we have years of experience in helping you, our clients, in the aftermath of bad accidents. We do our best to help you recovery financially, and offer you the best tips for physical and emotional healing as you work with your health care providers. However, as we have often said, it is better to act preventively and stay out of trouble in the first place. While that’s not always possible, there are many things you can do to reduce your risk of road dangers.
Arrive Alive, an organization dedicated to saving lives through road safety awareness, offers tips to help you in bad weather. Before we give you some of their key points, we would like to point out that it is always better to stay off the roads—if you can—when conditions are bad. Firstly, stay informed. Today there is so much information available to alert you to extreme conditions, and it is to your advantage to keep on top of expected weather conditions. Secondly, stay ahead of bad weather by stocking food and other necessities. If you keep staples in stock, you avoid the necessity of running out for basic items, especially when you have young children to feed and care for.
Next, make sure your car is roadworthy for bad weather. You will need at the very least:
- Properly inflated tires, with sufficiently deep treads
- Functional windshield wipers
- Basic car functionality, including working lights, anti-freeze, enough gas, and a reliable battery
- Battery jumper cables
- A first aid kit , reflector vest, and some snacks, in case you get stuck
Arrive Alive points out that drivers are challenged by two main problems on the road:
- poor visibility, and
- unstable road conditions such as rain and ice, which can cause drivers to lose control of their cars.
These factors mean that a quick run to the supermarket or your daily commute will take much longer. Do not be pressured to drive at your usual pace. Either leave earlier, or resign yourself to being late, but do not exceed a safe speed.
- Always drive alert! If you are too tired, pull over, or open a window.
- Slow down to a safe speed and maintain additional distance from the car in front of you.
- Be especially mindful of other drivers and changing road conditions.
Stillman and Friedland reminds you to always drive defensively!
