DRIVING WITH LIGHTNING
You’re driving along and all of a sudden you see bright veins of light flash in the sky. The first few look far off in the distance, but every flash seems to be getting closer, and the reports of thunder keep getting louder. From the looks of it, you’re about to be in the thick of things.
What do you do when you’re behind the wheel and a severe lightning and thunderstorm overtakes you?
Stay calm. This is the first rule of thumb in most emergencies. Staying calm helps you think through your situation and make better choices.
Note where you are. Know the conditions of the geographic location where you’re driving. If you’re in California, for example, you’re not going to be too worried about tornados. But if you’re traveling into tornado country, you should keep that in mind when you see the sky go black, and the thunder become very long and loud.
Keep informed. Have your radio on and listen to weather reports. Local stations will let you know what’s happening weather-wise in the area you’re driving in.
Light yourself. When things get dark, you want to be visible to other drivers. Turn your headlights on. This is a good practice in general whenever it’s raining.
Go slow; stay back. Drive slowly and don’t follow other cars closely. If the driver in front of you stops suddenly, you don’t want to rear-end that car.
Pull off somewhere safe. If visibility is limited and you can’t see the road very far ahead, pull over to the shoulder of the road somewhere safe. Make sure you’re not pulling over next to trees. Remember-lightning strikes the tallest object in its path and that could be the tree near you.
Stay in, flashers on. Stay in your car and turn your flashers on. Wait until the heavy rains pass.
Stay in your car. This one is so important, it bears repeating. Your car is a safer place to be than outside in the open. Your car has rubber tires that contact the ground, providing you with a barrier to the electricity from a close lightning strike. Do not touch metal inside or outside your car when lightning strikes.
Avoid, avoid. Stay away from flooded areas on the road; stay away from downed power lines. The line could be live. You never know if it’s conducting current, since a downed line just looks dead, whether electricity is passing through it or not.
Drive with extra care. When you approach intersections, use extreme caution since the traffic lights may be out. Act as if you are entering an intersection that has only stop signs, or no stop signs at all. Look at all directions before you enter, and don’t assume you have a right of way.
Driving in severe weather has its risks, but you can reduce the danger by being cautious, aware, and informed. Storms pass-slow down and let the one you’re driving through be a memory, not an accident.
If you are in an accident, you need support. AA-Accident Attorneys provides their clients the expert legal help to win results. You can feel confident that the car accident lawyer who represents you knows your concerns, and the issues you face with crowded roads, freeways, and highways that can lead to automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, bus accidents, and truck accidents. The car accident lawyer knows these issues from the inside and out-as a legal professional and as a citizen who shares the road and lives in the communities.
AA-Accident Attorneys serves clients in many locations across the United States, and has a car accident lawyer to represent you in Riverside, San Jose, Orange County, San Fernando Valley, Pomona, Ontario, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.
About The Author
This article is written by a professional auto accident lawyers at aa-accidentattorneys.com. Visit AA Accidentattorneys.com and find expert car accident lawyer, wrongful death, truck accident, personal injury attorneys, car accident lawyer, San Fernando Valley, and Newport Beach. Call us for a free consultation for your case at 877-477-5477.
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