Washington Injury Law Blog

You may have noticed that it snowed recently and it’s freezing outside. I know what you’re thinking, No Kidding! According to the weather forecast the snow and ice are going to stick around the Seattle area and greater Washington for at least the next week.

Diving on icy and snowy roadways requires extra caution. Take extra care when driving this week. Here are 9 tips for driving on icy and snow covered roads:
1. Drive with your headlights on, even during the daytime.
2. Slow down.
3. Even when roads are dry, watch out for icy bridges.
4. Stay at least 15 car lengths (200 feet) back from maintenance vehicles and plows, and don’t pass them on the right.
5. Don’t use cruise control or overdrive in freezing weather.
6. Don’t pump anti-lock brakes to stop.
7. Clear snow and ice from car surfaces before driving.
8. Keep safety equipment, spare parts and food and water in the car.
9. Allow greater distance to stop your car, start slowing down earlier.

Find more winter driving tips at:
www.wsdot.wa.gov/winter/
www.roadragers.com/tips/driving-on–ice.htm

A 56 year-old man was biking early yesterday morning, most likely on his way to work, when a car turned left in front of the bicycle causing an accident. The bicycle v. car accident happened in Renton, Washington on Renton Ave. S. The bicyclist suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene of the accident.

The bicyclist was wearing reflective clothing and had lights on his bike, but the car still failed to yield right of way to the bike. One of the most common and dangerous situations for bicycles are cars turning left in front of them. The bicyclist is left with no safe escape route. The bike either turns into traffic by going left or runs head on into the car turning in front of it.

With the dark days in Washington this time of year please be extra cautious when driving. There are a lot on bicyclist and motorcyclist out there that can be difficult to see at dawn, dusk, and at night. A little extra caution just may save a life! 

According to federal transportation officials 2008 is on pace to be the safest year for car accident related deaths so far on record.  Car accident related deaths are down 10% in 2008 from last year.  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates there’s been 31,110 traffic related deaths this year on U.S. roadways, compared with 34,502 during the same time last year.  It’s an improvement, but still a big and scary number.

The good news is that driving on U.S. roadways has never been more safe. Let’s hope the trend continues and we see continued reduction in car accident related fatalities in the future.