The weather hasn’t been kind to Washingtonians. But that’s not news. As residents of the Evergreen state, we’re used to the harsh winters.
Recently, however, there’s been a wave of crashes involving several vehicles. These crashes all have one thing in common, and that is: icy, sliding roads.
During the last couple of days, Washington State Patrol troopers have been extremely busy, working around the clock to respond to all of these collisions. In one report by a local news organization, a trooper was asked to comment on how busy he had been. He told reporters that he had been going from accident to accident. Often rescuing vehicles and their occupants from snowbanks. As soon as he arrived at one location, he would be called once again.
The scenes he describe seem as if they come out of a movie. Vehicles facing the opposite direction or stopped in between freeways. He also found vehicles stuck into fences.
It was an absolute mess, troopers said. But what is causing all of these accidents? According to officials, the answer is simple. Speed. People are driving too fast for the road conditions.
When driving during winter, drivers must have in mind that speed is their number one enemy. Taking it easy and driving slowly will help drivers to make sure they are not exposed to risks associated with the car sliding off the road. Driving 70 miles per hour in a 70 mph zone where the road is packed with compact snow and ice will undoubtedly lead to crashes.
Troopers are urging drivers to keep in mind that whenever they call 911 because they are stuck after their vehicle slid off the road, they must block lanes to get to the stranded person. Taking responsibility for our driving helps us to be better drivers and residents. We happen to agree with the troopers. In our line of work, we see a great deal of victims who could have been spared if the guilty party had been more aware of the potential consequences of their actions.
Vehicles can be used as weapons and drivers must understand that their actions have consequences. Winter driving is hard, and if you’re not willing to sacrifice speed to stay safe, you shouldn’t sit behind the wheel.
For more on this story, follow this link.
