In most accidents involving bad weather, the driving conditions in themselves were not the cause of the accident. Rather, the drivers’ failure to take the weather into account is the more common culprit, as any good car accident injury attorney knows. Inclement weather usually results in, among other things, poor visibility and slippery roads. First, the issue of visibility: the question is not whether we can see, but how much. The less we are able to see, the quicker our reaction time needs to be. Even on a clear night, for example, our visibility is diminished—our headlights cannot follow the curves of the road. What we can see is limited to the angle and range of the beams, giving us visual access to far less of our environment than we get during the day. And it goes without saying that rain, snow and fog significantly limit visibility.
Next, the question of driving surface. A slippery road means uncertain breaks and maneuverability, a dependable recipe for a crash. Contrary to what most people assume, rain and snow are often the most dangerous just after they begin to fall—the oil and dust that has not yet been washed away combines with water to form a slick layer on the road.
Of course, the best thing is to avoid driving in bad weather, but we know from experience that it not always possible to do so. If you have to drive come rain, sleet or snow—or, for that matter, fog or dark of night—drive cautiously and take the appropriate measures. Respecting the weather also means driving far below the speed limit on occasion.
In the snow, defrost your windshield before driving, put chains on your tires, and slow way down. In the rain, check your windshield wipers, defrost your windshield and, again, reduce your speed. According to the California Driver Handbook, “in a heavy rainstorm or snowstorm, you may not be able to see more than 100 feet ahead, and when you can’t see any farther than that, you cannot safely drive faster than 30 mph.” In fog, many drivers make the mistake of turning on their high beams in the hopes that they’ll be able to see better. In actuality, the intense light of one’s high beams reflects off the water droplets in the air, bouncing back into the driver’s eyes, further obscuring the scene around them. If you have to drive in bad fog, use your low beams and—you guessed it—slow way down.