Mid-January Ice Storm Leads To Dangerous Driving Conditions and Numerous Car Accidents in Philadelphia – You May Be a Target
The Philadelphia streets were as slippery as ski slopes on the morning of January 18, 2011, yet many drivers failed to acknowledge the dangerous conditions and were speeding down the highways with rockets of ice and snow flying off their non-cleared roofs and windows into the path of oncoming traffic. Icy roads present a threat to innocent individuals who are at the mercy of people who are driving too fast or carelessly under the conditions whereupon they cause catastrophic Philadelphia car accidents, wrongfully injuring and killing others. Although the Philadelphia weather service reported a 1/4 inch or more of ice accumulation on the roadways, that did not deter many people from speeding and carelessly spinning out into other vehicles. I myself witnessed a crash this morning that was predictable as I saw another vehicle pass me on the right side at a high rate of speed before careening or sliding into another vehicle causing substantial property damage.
Pennsylvania has a subjective and arbitrary traffic rule that can punish drivers for “driving too fast for conditions” even though at the time they may not necessarily be exceeding the posted speed limit.
As an experienced Pennsylvania car accident lawyer, I believe it is reasonable to expect that drivers should operate at slower speeds and more carefully under adverse and icy conditions. Last year in Pennsylvania there were over 8,000 accidents as a result of aggressive driving on snowy, slushy, or ice covered highways due to motorists tailgating, speeding, or making careless lane changes. As a matter of fact, last winter I was driving down the Atlantic City Expressway during snowy conditions when another vehicle cut me off. I lost control of my car and rolled down a ditch. The other vehicle sped away and I sustained thousands of dollars of damage to my vehicle but was lucky to have suffered no personal injury. It makes sense that getting frustrated and driving aggressively on snow or ice is not likely to save you time, but in fact, will cause problems. If you start to slide on ice, try not to panic and steer the wheel in the direction that you want the front end to go to straighten out the vehicle.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident due to aggressive winter driving or a snow missile flying off another vehicle, it is likely that the other vehicle is traveling too fast for the conditions and a proper cause of negligence and liability may exist. The experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily always offer a free, no obligation consultation and a no recovery, zero fee guarantee. For more information contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595.
