What Does It Mean to Drive According to Road and Weather Condition?
Poor weather often creates dangerous road conditions. In fact, a study from the Department of Transportation’s Road Management Program found that 22 percent of all car accidents occurred during bad weather. When bad weather hits, all drivers must make proper adjustments.
Many people incorrectly believe that bad weather will absolve a driver from accident liability. This is simply not true. Drivers still have a legal duty to operate their vehicle safely, regardless of the conditions. If you have been injured in a car accident and weather was a factor, please contact an experienced Denver car accident lawyer today for immediate legal assistance.
Poor Road Conditions: Driver Responsibilities
Ultimately, all drivers have the responsibility to operate their vehicle in a safe manner. This means that drivers must do whatever is necessary to adjust to the current road and weather conditions. To some extent, adjustments will vary for each driver.
For example, during snowy conditions, many inexperienced drivers likely should not be on a busy highway at all. They simply do not have the requisite skill to safely operate their vehicle in those conditions. Still, all drivers need to make adjustments, including:
- Ensuring that headlights are on, as well as having hazard lights during dense fog;
- Leaving considerably more braking distance when following another car;
- Dramatically reducing speed; and
- Pulling over when safe operation is not possible.
Bad Weather and Accident Liability
If you have been injured in a car accident, and the other driver is blaming the weather, you are not out of luck. You have legal options. Driver error is almost always a major contributing factor in the crashes that occur during poor weather. Most of the time, the other driver ignored their legal duty to adjust to the road conditions.
It is possible to operate a motor vehicle safely in almost any type of weather conditions. It just takes a proper adjustment of speed, braking distance and focus. Further, in the limited circumstances where a vehicle simply cannot be operated safely, then that vehicle should not be on the road. If a driver is putting the safety of others at an unreasonable risk, they need to pull over and wait for the road conditions to improve.
The failure to drive according to road and weather conditions is negligence. If you have been injured as a result of another driver’s negligence, you deserve full and fair compensation. Proving negligence in these types of cases can be extremely complicated. It is critical that you get your case in the hands of an experienced attorney as soon as possible. Your attorney will conduct a comprehensive accident investigation.
We Know the Denver Law About Driving According to Road Conditions
While poor weather conditions certainly increase the risk of accidents, bad weather does not shield negligent drivers from liability. If you have been injured in an accident, and the other driver is blaming the weather conditions, please contact our experienced auto accident attorneys as soon as possible. Our team offers free initial legal consultations to all accident victims.
Contact our Denver Car Accident Law Firm Today For Help
For more information please contact Zaner Harden Law, LLP to schedule a free initial consultation with a Denver car accident lawyer.
Zaner Harden Law, LLP
1610 Wynkoop Street, Suite 120. Denver, CO 80202
(720) 613 9706
