Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

It’s an uncomfortably familiar scene – snarling traffic, slick roads, and plenty of Missouri auto accidents throughout the Kansas City area. Recent bad weather has caused dangerous driving conditions and countless pile-ups as drivers try to get home through inclement conditions. Spring may be just around the corner, but nevertheless it’s a great idea to review winter driving safety given the prospect of more bad weather ahead.

First of all, assess risk before you leave home or your office. You may want to rush into town for work or to run errands, but your safety should come first. If the road is slick or snow is creating poor visibility, you may wish to call in to work, telecommute, or stay an extra half-hour to see if the storm clears. Don’t perform non-essential driving when the weather is bad – you’re just asking for trouble, injury, and property damage.

If you do have to take to the road, be sure you’re driving in a well-maintained vehicle that has proper tires and windshield wipers. It could be tempting to drive without a properly scraped windshield, but take the few extra moments it takes to properly defrost your car before driving. Once you’re on the road, take it easy. Slow, steady driving is in order – headlights on, additional distance given behind other vehicles, and no cruise control allowed.

If you can’t avoid a St. Louis Car Accident, be smart at the scene. Sometimes winter storms overtax law enforcement, and the police should not be called during a storm unless serious injuries have occurred. However, this does NOT mean you should not file a police report of the accident and collect as much information as possible on the other driver, the incident, and any witnesses.