Every winter, government agencies in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and across the United States, weather services and municipalities urge motorists to follow safe winter driving habits when facing hazardous road conditions from accumulated snow and ice. Multi car pileup accidents are a common occurrence on freeways, roadways and city streets in Providence, Woonsocket and across Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. These multi vehicle motor vehicle collisions often result in serious injuries and fatalities.
Multi-car crash in Rhode Island
Multi vehicle crashes and multi-car accidents most often occur during rain such as a downpour, precipitation, snowstorms, snow squalls or a wintry mix of ice, rain and snow as well as sleet or fog when visibility is low. This precipitation causes icy, wet, slippery, unsafe and perilous / treacherous road and highway conditions. Dangerous slippery road, street and highway conditions in Rhode Island are often exacerbated by low or poor visibility. Also many motorists have unsafe or defective worn down tires or they lack proper snow tires. Other motorists have defective, dangerous or unsafe brakes or braking systems on their automobile or pickup truck.
Winter weather multi vehicle pile-ups
The inclement weather during the winter months requires every driver to take special safety precautions when traveling the road. The potential of being involved in an accident increases when ice, sleet, freezing rain, fog, snowfalls and snow squalls make roadways, highways and streets especially slippery. Driving defensively and slowing down can minimize the potential of being involved in a Rhode Island multi-vehicle pileup chain reaction rear end accident during rain or an ice or snowstorm.
Causes of multi-auto collisions in Providence
Chain reaction (multi-vehicle) accidents typically happen by the failure of a single motorist to drive safely on unsafe road conditions. Any time the snow or ice is on the roadway, the motorist might not have the capacity to stop in time, which could cause a rear end or T-bone collision. Driving the vehicle at excessive speed is often a leading factor in pileup car, truck and mini van rear-end accidents especially when the roadways are slick.
Black ice is also another factor when water freezes on a dark roadway or is covered by a layer of snow or icy sludge. Many motorists in Rhode Island, Burriville, Exeter or North Smithfield are unaware that roadways can easily freeze when the outside air temperature is higher than 32 degrees. Ice can also form by dew landing on the roadway.
Avoiding a RI multi car pileup accident in Rhode Island or Massachusetts
Multi car pileup accidents often occur from an initial collision. Typically, a motorist is unable to see the damaged cars, bus and trucks ahead or do not have time to stop and move out of the way before striking the impaired or damaged vehicles on the road. The majority of multi-car pileup accidents happen in the wintertime when visibility is reduced. Icy roads tend to compound the issue because the vehicle can easily slide when the motorist slams on the brakes to avoid a collision ahead.
Common tactics to avoid a pileup accident include:
• Drive the vehicle at an appropriate speed based on current road and weather conditions, which is often significantly lower than the legal speed limit
• Increase the distance between your vehicle and vehicles ahead of you to leave the larger gap during bad weather
• Tap the vehicle’s brakes gently to avoid sliding or skidding caused by the wheels locking up on icy conditions
• Switch the vehicle into a lower gear to achieve better traction when driving up hills
• Learn how to move the vehicle out of a skid if your car has two wheel, front wheel or four-wheel-drive
• Never use cruise control while driving in unsafe weather conditions
• Slow down when driving in shaded areas and bridge crossings, which tend to freeze first on cold days
Exercising additional care during the cold winter months in Rhode Island and Mass. can help minimize the potential of being involved in a winter collision. Even so, it is highly advisable to have an emergency roadside kit in the vehicle at all times that include a first aid kit, blankets, flashlight, rope, steel shovel, nonperishable food items and a cell phone to uses an effective lifeline. Reflective hazard triangles, flares and an ice scraper are also beneficial.
A Duty to Drive Safely
All drivers on the road have a duty to operate their vehicle in a safe manner. When a driver breaches this duty and causes a Rhode Island accident, the motorist can be held legally liable for the damages and injuries endured by others.
Driving safely is crucial to the health and well-being of everyone sharing the road. Safe driving habits include reducing speed, staying alert, maintaining additional distance between vehicles and avoiding distractions by talking to other passengers, texting or using a mobile phone.
If you were injured in a RI automobile / auto accident then you should retain a RI car accident lawyer. A Rhode Island personal injury attorney will help you get the compensation you deserve as a result of the motor vehicle or truck crash
