Yes—we live in Canada and the weather is less than desirable in the winter; however, unless we are snowbirds planning to fly this winter out in Florida, we better learn to drive in the slushy, sloppy, and snowy conditions. Whether it’s a Benz, Beamer, or Bentley, there are certain precautions every driver should take on the slippery roads in the wintertime. Drivers need to listen to their mothers, buckle up and make safe, precautionary decisions when driving. Drifting in the snow, spinning out, and fishtailing are all very real scenarios that could happen to you if you are not driving slowly and safely in the snow. Car accident lawyers in Ontario and Toronto personal injury lawyers are there to help you if a winter driving accident does happen to take place.
Stopping Distances in Winter Driving Conditions
In the winter, driving can become monotonous and droning, as traffic can be stop-and-go when the roads are slippery. Boredom should not be an excuse for you to make rash, quick decisions on the road, putting other drivers in danger. These decisions lead to car accidents, and car accident lawyers in Ontario and Toronto personal injury lawyers are left picking up the pieces. Therefore, it is important to know proper stopping distances, so that you are driving at a safe distance behind the cars in front of you. Vehicles take much longer to stop on icy roads, but there are different stopping distances for different sets of tires and vehicles:
- Sub-compact vehicle: Winter Tires (39.1 m) and All-Season Tires (50.7 m)
- Minivan: Winter Tires (38.3 m) and All-Season Tires (51.1 m)
- 4-Wheel Drive: Winter Tires (35.7 m) and All-Season Tires (42.8 m)
(These stopping distances are based on stopping in a straight line traveling at 50 km/h).
If you are spending the winter in Canada, it is highly recommended that you invest in winter tires. Winter tires are even said to shorten your braking distance by 25% (if they are in good condition).
The Two-Second Rule
A more tangible way to understand safe stopping distances on the winter roads is the two-second rule. This rule suggests that firstly, you pick a spot on the road ahead of you such as a sign. Next, you count two seconds once the vehicle in front of you passes the marker. Lastly, when your own vehicle reaches the sign, you stop counting. If you reached the sign before you stopped counting, you need to count again, as this suggests that you are following the car in front of you at an unsafe distance. In poor winter driving conditions, count to four instead of two, as you need a safer following distance so that you can stop in time.
Hiring Car Accident Lawyers in Ontario
If a car behind you is not following at a safe distance on the winter roads and a car accident occurs because of this, it is time to hire car accident lawyers in Ontario and/or Toronto personal injury lawyers to assist you after the accident occurs. Lawyers will help build a case against the at-fault driver in the accident and fight for the compensation you need.
Remember that winter driving comes with extra precautions so that your vehicle can weather out the storm. Book a free consultation at Sokoloff if you were involved in a winter car accident today.
Sources:
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/ontario-511/pdfs/winter-safe-driving.pdf