Take These Three Steps If A Sudden Storm Arises While You’re Driving

September 6, 2022
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We are currently in the middle of hurricane season and while it has been a relatively quiet start to the stormy time of year, anything can happen and more named storms are likely to occur.  It is for this reason and the fact that at this time of year, extreme temperature changes often happen and storms pop up relatively quickly that it is important to know what to do if you are driving and a storm happens.  You will want to take some safety measures to protect you and your loved ones who you are driving with to help avoid a New Haven auto accident.

Before you leave your house, even if it is a sunny day, you should do a safety check of your vehicle in case a storm comes out of nowhere and you are not prepared.  You should make sure your windshield wipers are properly installed and have been tested to make sure that if you are presented with a large amount of water on your windshield that they are able to clear the water away easily.  Once you’ve preformed a safety check on your wipers, you can head out knowing that you will be able to face the rise of a sudden storm safely.

Now, what to do if you are out driving and all of a sudden a storm pops up?  There are three steps you should take if this happens to keep yourself safe while driving in this type of weather.

Step #1:   Set your windshield wipers to the proper speed.  If you have your wipers on too low you will not be able to clear the water that is falling off of your windshield fast enough and therefore your vision will be obscured.  If you have your wipers on too fast you will start to see streaking and a loud noise because your wipers have nothing to wipe away.  This can be dangerous if you are unable to see through the speed of your wipers.

Step #2: Pull into the right lane and travel there.  It can be tempting to continue to drive in the left lanes of the highway, but going fast when the rain is coming down hard is one sure fire way to get into an accident.  Pull over into a lane where you can travel at a safe speed until the storm passes.  If you are in the right lane you will be able to go at a comfortable speed without anyone giving you a hard time.

Step #3: Pull off the road and let the storm pass.  If the storm is really bad and rain is coming down faster then your wipers can wipe it away you may want to pull off into the breakdown lane and let the weather pass.  While you’re safely parked you can check the forecast to see how long the storm is expected to be and then you can get comfortable knowing that you are safely parked and ready to weather the storm.

Staying calm in a situation that is unpredictable is also an underrated skill.  If you can be calm and take the above steps when a storm comes on suddenly while you’re driving you will keep yourself in a good position to get through the storm safely and without facing the trouble of a New Haven auto accident.  If you panic, you may find yourself in a situation that is difficult to handle and could cause you injury at the hands of an accident.

Whether you’ve been injured in bad weather or good, our attorneys have experience with all types of incidents.  Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will speak with you about the circumstances surrounding your accident and work with you to protect your long-term interests.