Lawyers make a point of trying to help their clients in specific situations. For example, a client might want to offer proof that no act on their part has contributed to the tragic occurrence that created an accident scene on a road or highway. Thus a client might be surprised to hear an attorney say this: No driver can blame the weather for an accident.
Every driver on the road is expected to take on an entire list of added precautions. In addition, each of them is expected to travel safely. Because the law has made clear those expectations, it refuses to blame the weather for any traffic accident.
Sometimes, when an accident has taken place during a period of bad weather, an insurer will agree to issue a 50-50 fault determination. That means that the two drivers involved have been charged with a shared responsibility for what has happened.
What are the added precautions that drivers must take, while on road?
Keep your vehicle’s windows and mirrors clear. Make sure that your wipers are working properly. A vehicle with poor-performing wipers presents a real danger to other vehicles, on a snowy or rainy day.
Keep your headlights clear. Naturally, the driver should be sure that the headlights and tail lights turn on when they are supposed to. In bad weather, the person driving the vehicle behind you needs to be sure that he or she is behind a car, and not a motorcycle.
Check the vehicle’s tires before you hit the road. Make sure that they are properly inflated. Increase the stopping distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. Drive at a reasonable and safe speed. Make a point of being extra careful in bad weather. Do not try driving through a pool of water, while assuming that it is quite shallow.
What are the added precautions that drivers must take, before getting on the road?
Load up with any equipment that you might need, such as chains for your tires. Take with you a way to signal for help, in case of an emergency.
Become familiar with how to react if your vehicle’s tires start to skid. The chances for skidding increase, when roads get covered with ice, snow or sleet. Even wet roads can become surprisingly slippery, especially if they have been dry for quite some time.
Give careful consideration to the wisdom of actually getting on the road. Think about the nature of the trip that you plan to take. Is it really necessary?
The driver’s willingness to follow the precautionary procedures may be clearer in certain instances. Yet even a failure to think seriously about the wisdom behind getting on the road can be brought into focus by a skilled lawyer. Still, a smart car owner makes a point of seeing that his or her automobile will handle well, even in bad weather. And just in case, you have an accident where you were not at fault, call on a Personal Injury Lawyer in Cornwall immediately.