2011 January Archive

The Georgia roads are dangerous enough without adding to it the hazard of icy road conditions. If you are forced to drive in these conditions, there are certain precautions you should take:

1. In these conditions, it is even more important that all of your passengers be wearing seat belts. Also ensure that all of your passengers are wearing clothing adequate for the weather. If you are stranded, you want to ensure that no one will suffer from the cold.
2. In addition, you may want to put together a safe driving kit to keep in your car in the case of an emergency. This kit might include:
   • Emergency flares
   • A flashlight
   • Jumper cables
   • Extra warm clothes and a security blanket
   • An emergency radio
   • Windshield scrapers
3. Be sure that you always use wipers and your defroster to give you better visibility.
4. Always drive at a safe speed for the conditions. If you are driving on ice or in low visibility, you are advised to drive at least ten miles per hour slower than the speed limit. As always, use your best judgment and drive defensively.
5. Never brake or turn suddenly. Additionally, always give other drivers plenty of warning before turning or stopping.
6. Whenever you must slow down or stop, never brake suddenly. Instead, try first downshifting your gears to slow your engine down. Then lightly tap on the brakes (especially if you do not have anti-lock brakes, as slamming on the brakes can cause them to lock up). This will allow you to test the conditions and also slowly bring you to a stop.
7. It is always prudent to replace your tires often so that you have better traction. You may also wish to drive a 4-wheel drive car; however, remember that 4-wheel drive cars share no distinct advantage over other cars when breaking on ice.
8. Always have your headlights on to increase your visibility to other cars on the road.

If you are injured, or a loved one is killed in a car accident in Georgia, please contact the Law Offices of Wayne Grant, P.C. for your free case evaluation.

Early this week, Atlanta citizens were hit with a snowstorm that some are now calling Snowmaggedon ’11. Along with reports of an unprecedented 4.4 inches of snowfall over the last few days, freezing rain has led to dangerous driving conditions. Even today, many residents are confined to their homes.

In addition to unprecedented living conditions, the snowstorm has left many residents wondering how to navigate the roads and icy conditions.

Unfortunately, just as many Atlanta citizens are unaware of how to manage the driving conditions, so too are many truckers. In instances where we should see chains employed by all truck drivers, some semi-trucks do not have chains and some truck drivers are still driving much too fast for the conditions.

These reprehensible actions have repercussions for both the truck drivers and other citizens on the road. Trucking accidents are some of the more dangerous because of the large discrepancy in sizes between 18-wheelers and passenger vehicles.

If you have been injured, or a loved one has been killed in a trucking accident in Georgia, you may be entitled to compensation. Please speak with one of our experienced attorneys at the Law Offices of Wayne Grant, P.C. today for your free case evaluation.