Winter is officially here.
With an entire Michigan winter ahead of us, staying safe on the roads during
heavy snow can be a difficult task. Weather can be a hazard when driving a
vehicle and sometimes that may more easily cause an accident. Even if you don’t
get involved in an accident, perhaps one day you could find yourself stranded
in your car in the snow. Whatever the situation, when you’re not able to
continue driving due to any obstacle, there is one simple tip for your safety:
If you’re stranded on the side of the road, stay in your car and call for help.
Too many accidents have
occurred after someone steps out of their vehicle and are hit by an inattentive
driver. For example, there was a recent death here in Michigan of a tow truck
driver who pulled over to help a woman with changing a tire on I-96.
Even the Michigan Department
of Transportation (MDOT) and the Michigan State
Police has recently released a PSA video to tell people to stay inside their car when something goes wrong. The video warns us that busy roads and freeways are no place for pedestrians. Stranded drivers are much better off waiting for help to arrive than they are to be walking or standing around waiting for the police or tow truck to show up. You should never wait outside your car, where the chances of being hit by a speeding car or a car that accidentally drives into the shoulder are much higher. It can especially be dangerous during winter because some shoulders may be far more narrow than usual due to piled up snow banks.
Police has recently released a PSA video to tell people to stay inside their car when something goes wrong. The video warns us that busy roads and freeways are no place for pedestrians. Stranded drivers are much better off waiting for help to arrive than they are to be walking or standing around waiting for the police or tow truck to show up. You should never wait outside your car, where the chances of being hit by a speeding car or a car that accidentally drives into the shoulder are much higher. It can especially be dangerous during winter because some shoulders may be far more narrow than usual due to piled up snow banks.
According to the State
Transportation Director, there were 105 fatal crashes on freeways involving
pedestrians, resulting in 108 deaths between 2007 and 2013.
Some more statistics of fatal
crashes involving pedestrians between 2007 and 2013 include:
-
81% of the motor
vehicle crashes occurred on the roadway.
-
68% of the car
crashes occurred between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.
-
57% of these
accidents occurred in Metro Detroit.
-
48% of these
crashes occurred in clear weather conditions.
-
Monday is the
day of the week with the most car accidents (19%).
If you must step outside
your vehicle, be extremely aware of passing traffic and move as far away from
the roadway as possible. Again, if that’s not necessary, stay inside and call
and wait for help there.
If
you or someone you know has been involved in a car crash or truck accident in
Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor,
Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Westland, Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield,
Waterford or any other city in Michigan, make sure to contact Motor City
Accident Attorneys by calling 1-800-411-PAIN. Motor City Accident Attorneys
know how stressful a car accident can be and want to help you get back on your
feet. They will fight tirelessly for your rights and help you get the
compensation you deserve, according to your specific case. Make sure to follow
Motor City Accident Attorneys on Twitter (@MCAccidentAtty) and Facebook. Join
the conversation by using #MCAA.
