Weather continues to become more and more extreme with recent storms throughout Connecticut leading to dangerous conditions including roads that have been completely washed away. These unprecedented rain storms can lead to conditions that can cause a Connecticut auto accident if you are not aware of how to drive safely in extreme weather.
While not every rain storm presents extreme weather conditions, most rain storms can cause situations that need to be navigated well in order to prevent situations where you could damage your car or you could get injured. Being able to read the weather conditions while you’re driving and approach puddles and rain in a safe way is one of the most important skills you can have when you’re behind the wheel.
Rain and deep puddles can cause all sorts of problems for you and your car. Your car can become flooded out when water gets into the engine and this can lead to a breakdown and a situation where you’re going to need to get out of your vehicle in a rain storm and find a way to get it to the location you are heading to. If rain doesn’t get into your engine, it could get into the car’s electrical system which can short out the vehicle leading to a breakdown as well.
From a safety standpoint you could be driving through a deep puddle and all of a sudden start hydroplaning. When you hydroplane you lose control of your vehicle which can easily lead to a crash and cause damage and injuries. Hydroplaning is one of the gravest dangers that is presented by heavy downpours and rain storms. So, how do you avoid this treacherous condition and keep yourself safe? Here are a few things you should do if you’re driving in the rain and face the possibility of hydroplaning.
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Slow down. Speeding into a puddle or area where there is a lot of water build up is asking to put yourself and your car in a situation where you may begin hydroplaning. If you can’t avoid the puddle or water logged spot, at the very least you can approach it with caution and a lower speed.
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Avoid large puddles all together. Puddles are dangerous for a variety of reasons, but one of the most important reasons they are dangerous is that you can’t tell how deep they are. You could be traveling along the road, see a puddle that looks relatively minor and then when you drive through it come to realize that it is deep and can do serious damage to the underside of your vehicle while also knocking you off your course which could lead to an accident or an injury.
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If you must travel through a puddle, you should do so carefully and once you’re through the puddle you should gently tap your brakes to free your brakes of the water that they may have collected on them when you were driving through that puddle. This will allow you to travel along your route without concern of losing control of your vehicle when you have to use the brakes later on.
Weather conditions are one of the things that you should really learn how to drive in because you never know when they are going to pop up and cause dangerous situations. If you know how to handle certain weather conditions it will go a long way to helping you to avoid a Connecticut auto accident and arrive at your destination safely. While you cannot predict the weather conditions you can be prepared and that will help you get to a situation where you are confident when driving in any type of road condition.
Accidents of all kinds happen, regardless of the weather conditions, and if you’re injured in an accident you may need to speak with an attorney. Contact our experienced attorneys who have worked on situations of all kinds and let them review your situation and work with you to protect your long-term interests.
