Winters in the northern portion of the United States are often full of snowstorms and weather so cold it hurts to be outside. Illinois often exhibits this behavior as well, especially the northern portion of the state. The weather during the winter months can make for hazardous road conditions, and special care needs to be taken when driving in the winter to avoid collisions and injuries. According to the US Department of Transportation, every year over 116,000 people are injured in car crashes where the pavement is snowy, slushy, or icy. Using the tips below can help to prevent winter weather collisions.

Car Safety

One of the main components of safe driving during the winter months is making sure your vehicle is properly prepared for winter. In order to make sure your vehicle is prepared, you can do as many of the following as possible:

Picture it: you have just gotten off of work, you are on your way home and you have found yourself in the middle of rush hour. Traffic is moving at a snail’s pace, but as you are moving up a few feet, another driver from the lane over decides to cut you off and jump in front of you. You are probably not too happy about this and depending on the day you have had, this may be the tipping point. The anger you would be feeling is not uncommon--according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, nearly 80 percent of drivers have expressed significant anger or aggression behind the wheel at least once. Road rage is dangerous and can lead to serious car accidents, which is why it is important to understand how to handle road rage if you come across an aggressive driver.

What Is Road Rage?

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) defines road rage as violent or aggressive behavior that is a result of a driver’s uncontrolled anger toward another driver. Often, the anger that is felt by those who have road rage is not necessarily toward the other driver, but is a projection of anger about something else, such as a long day at work. Examples of road rage include:

You have just gotten into a car accident and you are panicking because you do not know what to do next. This has never happened to you before, so you have no prior knowledge to draw from. Who do you call? What do you do first? What do you do if you are hurt? These are questions that will probably arise if you ever find yourself in the precarious situation of a car accident. You may think it is not likely to happen to you, but statistics say otherwise. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were over 6 million traffic accidents reported to police in 2016. Understanding the appropriate steps you should take after an accident can ensure that you are compensated for your damages.

Immediately After the Crash

Stay Safe

As technological advances are made at increasingly higher rates, manufactures in a number of industries are racing to implement those advances to enhance the user experience of their products. Automobile makers are no exception, as the promise of self-driving cars appearing on roadways not only intrigues the public but has raised questions over matters of fault and liability stemming from injuries suffered in traffic accidents involving self-driving cars.

At This Point … More Questions Than Answers

While the roads are filled with vehicles that include a variety of semi-autonomous features such as parking assistance, blind spot detection and automatic braking, the vehicle that is fully self-driving has yet to hit the streets. As manufacturers work to introduce the self-driving car to the public, questions from drivers, law enforcement agencies and insurance groups relative to accidents and liability swirl.

The capital city of Hawaii, Honolulu, recently passed a “distracted pedestrian law,” which bans those on foot from looking at their cell phone while crossing a street or highway. Lawmakers said that the new rule was put into place in an effort to curb pedestrian accidents, which can be serious or deadly.

More Details on the Law

While most states have laws on the books that prohibit texting and driving, Honolulu appears to be the first major city in the U.S. to ban texting and walking. The mayor of Honolulu said that the area had seen many pedestrian accidents involving seniors and that he hoped this law would reduce the number of accidents.

Recovering money damages for your injuries from a car accident requires you to prove several facts. Some people think that just being hurt in a car accident means that they have a successful lawsuit in their possession, but this could not be further from the truth.

There Are Many Complications that Could Arise in Your Car Wreck Lawsuit

Few car accident cases, especially where there is a large amount of damages at stake, are cut and dry. Most of these accidents have facts that could be damaging to your ability to recover. It is the job of your attorney to assess these weaknesses and determine possible defenses.