- January 6, 2025
- Tucker Law
- Vehicle Accidents
For a time, it felt like the cold weather might never arrive. But now temperatures are dropping precipitously, which means it’s only a matter of time before snowfall and icy conditions make driving a veritable nightmare for New York City residents.
Even if you have experience driving in the snow, New York City’s icy winters increase the likelihood of getting injured in an accident. If you get seriously hurt in an accident caused by another driver, a car accident lawyer may be able to help you receive compensation.
Driving Safely in the Snow
Preparation Makes All the Difference
Adult drivers may have a hard time remembering the lessons taught by the driver’s education teachers from their teenage years. Snow and ice can cause you to lose control of your vehicle — sometimes unpredictably. At Tucker Lawyers, we know how terrifying it can be to attempt to react properly in emergency situations like these. We hope the following tips will help you navigate snowy, icy roads with confidence.
Drive With Extra Caution
It may seem self-explanatory, but the most crucial piece of advice we can give to motorists is to drive slower in the snow. A heavy majority of all accidents, snow-related or otherwise, are caused by reckless driving and imprudent speeding. Remember that if road conditions are icy or otherwise dangerous, it is completely acceptable — and often wise — to drive under the posted speed limit.
Don’t Tailgate
Because snow and ice can dangerously increase the amount of time it takes for vehicles to come to a full stop, it’s of paramount importance that you leave an exaggerated amount of space between your car and the car ahead of you. Every year, thousands of avoidable fender-benders occur because of the widespread human proclivity to “follow too closely.” The amount of time you save, per trip, by fighting that war of inches is nowhere near the amount of time you’ll lose if you wreck another vehicle’s bumper. Police involvement, insurance policy procedures, and the potential for injury makes this practice eminently not worth it.
Know What to Do if Your Car Skids
If your car does go “into a skid,” meaning the tires have lost their traction with the road, it is generally accepted to follow the wisdom of the old adage: “steer into the skid.”
However, it’s important to avoid compensating too dramatically. “Oversteering” can prolong the fishtailing.
There’s another safety maxim, relating to Anti-Lock Brake systems, or ABS. “Stomp, Stay, and Steer” tells drivers to stomp their foot on the brakes and stay there, pressing resolutely down on the brake pedal. With a foot firmly on the brake, drivers should then attempt to steer toward safety.
Focus on the Road Ahead
What’s most important is keeping calm, keeping your hands on the wheel, and focusing your vision on clear parts of the road. Too often drivers fixate on the obstacle they’re trying desperately to avoid, which may cause an unwanted, subconscious side-effect: drivers focusing too strongly on the lone tree in an empty field often end up hitting it. What’s best is keeping your sights set on safe, open areas.
Even the most careful driver can be badly hurt by someone who doesn’t know how to drive in New York winters. If you’ve been injured in an accident, call Tucker Lawyers at (516) 399-2364 for a free consultation.
New York Legalizes Studded Snow Tires
Even the most seasoned driver can be tricked by black ice and the slick nature of snowy roads. Luckily, help is on the way in the form of studded snow tires. New York State permits its residents to install studded tires on their vehicles, which help increase traction and, by extension, decrease the frequency of slips and slides.
Studded tires have small, ultra-hard bits of metal embedded directly into the rubber, which entrench themselves into snow, and even ice, allowing vehicles to tightly grasp the road. You may sometimes see government vehicles, such as garbage and mail trucks, employ a similar technique, wrapping their tires in nets of metal chain. However, metal studs can damage asphalt that isn’t covered in snow, which is why their use was formerly unlawful and is now regulated — these tires may be used only between October 16th and April 30th.
There are other items you should keep on hand throughout the colder months. Small snow shovels, hand brooms, and ice scrapers can be used to get your vehicle out of snowed-in situations, and come in handy all winter. For those willing to do a bit more preparation, small emergency kits can be assembled and kept in the trunk. Kits should include items like:
- Jumper cables, for emergency jumpstarts
- Flashlights, in case your car breaks down at night
- Cat litter (or a similarly coarse substance), which can be scattered under tires for traction
- Water bottles, and non-perishable food, in case you’re snowed so heavily into your car that you are forced to spend long periods of time inside, awaiting help.
You’ll very likely get through winter without having to use your emergency kit. However, it’s much better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Have You Been Hurt in a Snow-Related Accident?
The Tucker Lawyers Team Is Ready to Advocate for You
Just because snow falls, this doesn’t mean that life stops. Most of us are still required to be present at work and attend to our daily obligations, even when the roads become treacherously icy. In the upcoming months, we at Tucker Lawyers stress the importance of driving carefully. In the event that tragedy strikes, however, we urge you to seek the counsel of a law firm that specializes in driving accidents.
At Tucker Lawyers, our car accident attorneys are well-versed in all aspects of driving law. We have a long and proven track record of winning our clients maximum compensation.
If you’ve been hurt, you owe it to yourself to retain the services of New York City’s premier vehicular accident law firm. Call Tucker Lawyers at (516) 399-2364 to set up a free consultation.
Managing Attorney John. J. Tucker, Esq.
John has personally handled thousands of clients who were victims of another’s negligence and fights relentlessly for their rights. John enjoys bringing closure to a client’s matter so that the injured party can move forward with their life. His background enables him to evaluate complex liability related claims and bring resolution to claims in a record time frame. [ Attorney Bio ]