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Winter roads can be a disaster. Quite often, they can be slushy, slippery and just plain messy. So what should you do if you find yourself in an unsafe situation?

winter driving tips

To help keep you safe on the road this season, AARP identified these key winter driving safety tips:

  • Check your car battery. Your car batteries weaken in the cold. Learn how to tell if yours are on their way out.
  • Stock up on winter gear. Keep jumper cables, a snow brush, a small shovel and these other necessities in your car in case you get stuck.
  • Defrost and deice before leaving. It’s crucial that you clean the inside and outside of your car’s windshield and rear window.
  • Use your headlights. Turn your headlights on (even in the daytime) so you can stand out from the drab winter background.

Read the full article here.

safety tips for winter highway driving avoiding winter accidentsWhen you open your drapes in the morning, you’re greeted by a fresh coat of snow on the lawn. While you might rejoice at the opportunity to spend more time with your family and celebrate important holidays during the winter, you’re likely not excited to head out on the road in your vehicle. Thankfully, familiarizing yourself with a few winter driving safety tips can ease your anxiety and help to ensure that you arrive at your destination safe and sound.

Clear Ice and Snow from Your Car

Before you head out in your car, make sure that the windshield and all windows are completely free of ice. Maintaining the highest level of visibility possible will help you stay safe while on the road. You should also be sure to remove snow from the top of your car, as it can slide down from the roof when you stop, blocking your vision or those of drivers behind you.

Increase Your Following Distance

When driving on snowy or icy roads, it’s essential that you leave at least three times more space than usual between yourself and the car in front of you. It takes a lot longer to stop on an icy road, so you run the risk of rear-ending another vehicle if you follow too closely. Remember that you should also break gently to avoid losing traction and spinning out.

Stay Away from Big Rigs, Plows and Other Vehicles

It’s always a good idea to give semi trucks, plows and other large vehicles plenty of space on the road. During the winter, it’s especially important that you stay away from them. You don’t want to be in the way if a large truck spins out or if a semi stalls on an icy hill.

Use Low Gears and Avoid Cruise Control

For those who drive manual transmissions, staying in low gears is a great way to increase your traction on the road. Opt for low gears when climbing or descending hills. In addition to increasing your traction, you’ll also have better control over your movement on the road and will be able to stop more efficiently. Avoid using cruise control on icy roads; it’s better to control your speed yourself, so that you can respond quickly to changes in conditions.

Carry Chains, A Shovel and Warm Clothing

No matter how far you have to drive during the winter, it’s always a good idea to carry chains. If you’re headed out for a long trip, call the highway patrol or roads department in your area to find out about road conditions and chain requirements. If chains are required, put them on before you leave. Keep a shovel, gloves and warm clothing in your car in case you need to chain up on the side of the road.

Of course, if you’ve been involved in a winter accident, it’s a good idea to contact a licensed attorney. Here at Brown Chiari, we can guide you through the insurance claims process and will help you seek compensation if you are injured during an accident.

more big rigs could mean more fatal auto Road Accidents Trucking is one of the deadliest occupations. Although fatal auto accidents have decreased due to improvements in highway safety, these statistics are likely to rebound as more trucks take to the roads in New York and across the country. Today, trucks claim more than 80 percent market share in the commercial transportation industry, which includes air, sea and rail transport methods. All of this business earns trucking companies over $650 billion each year and earnings are projected to grow 20 percent in the next decade.

For drivers, this surge means that more trucks will be on the road, which increases the likelihood of truck and auto accidents. Recently, the North American Free Trade Agreement opened roads to trucks from Canada and Mexico. After these truckers pass the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration inspection, they will be able to drive in the United States. New York’s proximity to Canada means that many motorists will be driving alongside foreign truckers who can be especially hard to sue if they’ve caused injuries or fatalities. If this is the case, you’ll need to find a law firm capable of handling a NAFTA trucking case. You must also consider that new truckers are replacing an aging workforce, putting less experienced drivers on the road. All of these factors increase the relative risk of fatal truck accidents.

The Facts Don’t Lie

Nationally, tractor-trailers are involved in approximately 12 percent of all fatal accidents on the road. With 3 million 18-wheelers registered in the United States, crashes involving cars and trucks are extremely likely to occur. Statistically, trucks are 20 to 50 percent more likely to be involved in fatal crashes than passenger vehicles and because of the size of these trucks, any accidents are much more likely to be deadly.

Annually, more than 4,300 fatal driving accidents involve big trucks. This averages out to 2.4 fatal accidents for every 100 million miles driven. However, the number of non-fatal, but dangerous, accidents is significantly higher.

At highway speeds, it takes trucks a long time to stop. In these conditions, rollovers and jackknife crashes are imminent. Heavy loads are more likely to shift, which increases the probability of a rollover, while lighter loads are more susceptible to jackknife crashes. However, fatal truck accidents don’t only happen on New York’s highways and interstates. 50 percent of all fatal truck accidents occur on secondary, two-lane roads. Poor vehicle maintenance and inclement weather are common causes of these accidents.

Stay Safe and Take Action

Trucks that transport everything from produce to furniture can change your life in an instant. If you’ve been injured by a big truck in New York, you need an experienced personal injury attorney who specializes in such accidents. Call the experts at Brown Chiari to request a free case evaluation today.

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