Practice Safe Driving During Bad Storms | Richmond Virginia Accident Lawyer
Hurricane Irene left its mark in many parts of the East Coast, including Virginia. We here at O’Bryan Law hope that you and your family were well and safe during the storm. There have been a few deaths because of the hurricane, most of them occurred due to fallen trees.
As you can imagine, Virginia state troopers were called to duty during this time, responding to a myriad of car crashes. A news release from Virginia police says that troopers fielded more than 1,677 calls the Saturday Irene hit between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. They also responded to 237 traffic crashes with the majority of them involving property damage.
We encourage you to avoid driving as much as possible while the streets and highways are being cleared of debris and fallen trees. Light poles have been damaged, so visibility is poor at night.
If you do have to drive, here are a few tips to keep yourself safe:
- Check weather and news reports about current road conditions before heading out.
- Avoid driving through flooded streets and standing water. Standing water can make your car stall and cause damage.
- Don’t drive over fallen power lines.
- Avoid driving behind or beside large semi-trucks and tractor trailers. Gusty winds can cause big vehicles to sway from side to side.
The most important things to remember when driving during bad weather is to always be alert and don’t be in a rush to get anywhere. It’s better to get to your destination late than to not get there at all!