Keep your wheels on the road with these springtime driving tips
Have you ever seen the “Slip-n-Slide” game that kids play in the yard? Roll out that slick yellow plastic, spray it down with water, kids will slip and slide to their heart’s content. This is not unlike the way road conditions can be during the spring months. As the April showers come to meet thawing snow, the roads can become a Slip-n-Slide festival where — instead of children — the cars are zipping here and there in unpredictable ways.
Considering the unique dangers of spring driving, here are a few things that all drivers should keep in mind this springtime:
Make sure your lights are working well
If it’s raining outside, other drivers won’t be able to see you that well, so make sure all your lights are working properly, including your turn signals, brake lights, headlights, tail lights, backup lights, parking lights and any other lights on your car.
Buy new wiper blades
You should make it a practice to buy new wipers at least once a year. This will ensure that you can efficiently clear mud and water from your windshield for proper visibility.
Drive with care
There’s no reason why you need to get somewhere five minutes faster, even if it means you’ll be a little bit late for an appointment. Speeding through traffic is dangerous — and it’s especially dangerous during the rainy spring season.
Just because the weather conditions were rotten and a motor vehicle accident happened as a result does not mean that the drivers involved were not at fault for the incident. If a driver fails to alter his or her speed and driving technique to reflect current weather conditions — and he or she causes a collision as a result — that driver could be financially responsible for the accidents and injuries he or she causes due to this negligence. Speak with an experienced motor vehicle accident attorney in Sacramento to learn more.
Source: Mazda of Lodi, “5 Safety Tips for Spring Driving,” accessed April 26, 2018