This winter, it's important to be mindful of the weather. Not just to know how many layers you need to bundle up in, but also how to get where you need to go safely. If you aren't one of the lucky ones who gets snow days, how can you avoid winter-weather car accidents?
COMPLETELY REMOVE SNOW AND ICE FROM YOUR VEHICLE'S EXTERIOR.
This not only makes it easier for you to see where you are going, but it also protects you from potentially causing a wreck. If snow or ice from your vehicle inhibits someone else's vehicle and causes their property damage or causes them to wreck, you could be at fault.
REDUCE YOUR SPEED DURING YOUR COMMUTE.
Go slow. While driving in snow, sleet or freezing rain, the probability of losing control of your vehicle increases. If that happens, you want to be going under the speed limit.
ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO COMMUTE TO WHERE YOU ARE GOING.
It will take you longer to get where you're going if you follow the advice above. Plan for your commute to take longer.
LEAVE EXTRA ROOM BETWEEN YOUR VEHICLE AND THE ONE IN FRONT OF YOU.
Stopping in snow and ice can be near impossible so give yourself some room to spare. To test your distance, pick a focal point parallel with the car in front of you and then count how long it takes for you to pass that point. For normal driving conditions, the rule of thumb is to have 3 seconds. For snowy or icy conditions, up the time to 6 seconds. The extra cushion between your vehicle and the one in front of you could easily make all the difference between being in an accident or not.
If you followed the rules, paid attention and still ended up in an accident because of someone else's negligence while driving, give us a call at 314.932.1066. Contact us before having ANY conversations with the other party's insurance company. You should not have to pay for others' mistakes.