Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
It’s those first few rain drops that signify danger.
As we head into the rainy season, you may have noticed a lot more black clouds over the city and a lot more scattered showers. It’s important for drivers to adjust their driving habits in rainy conditions to help to avoid a potentially fatal car accident in Cape Coral and elsewhere throughout Southwest Florida.
Even after the showers start, the risks for a potentially fatal accident continue to increase. Our Cape Coral accident attorneys understand that our roadways are the slipperiest when the rain begins. Oil dropped from cars on our roadways mixed with the falling rain leads to some serious accident risks. We have a few simple safety tips to help you to safely navigate your way through the rainy season on our Florida roadways. Listen up!
Turn on your headlights! As soon as you see the rain start to roll in make sure to kick on your headlights! Turning on your headlights when it’s raining not only helps you to see better, but it helps other motorists to see you as well!
In the state of Florida it is a law to drive with your headlights on when driving in inclement weather (Florida’s Driver’s Handbook Online 2009, Pages 19, 25 and 26).
It’s also important for you to slow it down on our roadways when the rain starts falling. In heavy rain, like we’ve seen recently, your tires can wind up riding along on our roadways on a thin film of water. This is kind of how skis work. It’s called hydroplaning. This is when you’re driving along and you tires aren’t actually touching the road. In these cases, you can easily lose control of your vehicle and skid out of control. You always want to keep your tires on the road by slowing down a bit when it’s raining. You should also make sure that your tires are in good condition, that the air pressure is correct and that the tread isn’t too worn.
Another thing you want to keep an eye on while you’re driving through the rain is your vehicle’s brakes. In deep water and in heavy rain your vehicle’s brakes can get wet, which may cause them to pull to one side or to not hold at all. In these cases, you’re urged to slow down and lightly push on the brake until they’re working again. If they get too bad, your best bet is to pull over, stop and wait it out.
As we head into the rainy season that we all know so well, remember to adjust your driving habits to accommodate the dangerous weather. When it doubt, turn on your headlights. If you need more info on how to handle your vehicle in the rainy weather, feel free to visit the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) for a free copy of the Florida’s Driver’s Handbook Online.
Lastly, we also ask that you be courteous while driving. Keep off the high beams when you’re following another driver or when a vehicle is heading your way. When you have your high beams on it can blind other drivers and can cause serious accidents.
Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, is a law firm that’s dedicated to helping the victims of car accidents in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples and elsewhere through Southwest Florida. Call today to set up a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-283-2900.
More Blog Entries:
Cape Coral Car Accidents: Use Your Blinker, Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, May 11, 2012
