State Police Advise Illinois Motorists to Stay Safe this Winter

January 25, 2013

State police advise Illinois motorists to stay safe this winter

With the winter driving season in full force, parts of Illinois and the Midwest have already experienced major snowstorms, bringing with it icy and slippery roads. In order to lessen the risk of being involved in a car accident, the Illinois State Police are advising drivers to take proper precautions when driving during adverse weather conditions.

State officials encourage Illinois motorists to take extra care when driving on icy or snowy roads and to allow for extra travel time. In addition, winter driving safety experts advise taking the following precautions:

-Drive slower than you normally would. Watch out for black ice accumulating on bridges or ramps.
-Before you go, ensure that you take extra precautions to stay warm should you be stranded, such as having a full gas tank or packing extra gloves or blankets.
-If your visibility is impaired by blowing snow, turn on your headlights or parking lights to make yourself visible to other motorists.
-Make sure that your vehicle is properly maintained for winter driving by checking the tread on your tires, ensuring that your windshield wipers are not cracked or worn and making sure that your car has plenty of windshield wiper fluid.
-Give three times the braking distance that you would normally give to the vehicle in front of you.
-If you start to slide, do not slam on your brakes. Instead, apply your brakes gently to avoid making the skid worse.
-If you need to leave your vehicle because of a car crashor breakdown, always keep a safe distance from the vehicle and roadway. Avoid standing in front of your vehicle in case another car hits it.
-If the trip is not necessary, consider staying home.

In addition to the above tips, it is vitally important to take constant note of your surroundings, so you can inform local emergency services of your location, should you find yourself involved in a car accident.

Civil liability for reckless winter driving

Although proper winter safety precautions lessen the likelihood of having an accident, it does not eliminate the risk. Accidents will happen. However, those who are injured because of driver carelessness may hold the careless driver financially accountable.

Illinois law imposes on motorists a duty to drive in a manner that does not expose other motorists to an unreasonable risk of harm given the circumstances. If a motorist does not conform to this duty by engaging in activities such as speeding, texting while driving or otherwise driving in an unreasonable manner considering the winter driving conditions, he or she may be considered negligent.

Under Illinois law, motorists who are injured because of another motorist's negligent actions are entitled to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for expenses caused by the accident such as medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering or future medical expenses. If you or a loved one has been injured by a negligent driver, contact an experienced personal injury attorney to learn about your right to compensation.

Article provided by Giacoletto Law Office, PC
Visit us at http://www.scglawoffice.com