A blast of wintry weather has been thrashing Colorado in recent weeks, creating especially perilous road conditions for drivers and increasing the risk of Denver car accidents.
Already, the snowstorm is being blamed for dozens of Colorado highway crashes, where visibility was diminished to nearly zero in certain areas.
Dumping about 20 inches of snow in some areas, the storm is the first major blizzard of the season in the Midwest. It had an icy reach that stretched into Nebraska and parts of Iowa as well.
Our Denver car accident attorneys understand that meteorologists have clocked the storm as having winds gusting at up to 30 miles per hour, prompting airlines to cancel some 600 flights out of the Denver International Airport.
The wet, heavy snow has also wreaked havoc on power lines and trees, causing more than 15,000 people to be stuck without power.
Colorado is no stranger to snow, and many drivers are especially careful in such whiteout conditions. Still, we’d like to pass on a few refresher tips from AAA on how to best navigate snowy, icy streets.
1. Slow down. Everything is going to take longer if the road is covered with snow. Give yourself time to get to your destination safely.
2. Keep a greater distance from the cars in front of you. Typically on dry pavement, you would give yourself about three to four seconds (or car lengths). In snowy weather, give yourself eight to 10 seconds (or car lengths).
3. If you don’t have to stop, don’t. If you can approach a traffic signal slowly enough so that you don’t have to stop before the light changes, that’s a better option than stopping completely and having to start moving again.
4. If you’re moving up a hill, don’t stop. Get some inertia on the flattened area just before a hill so you won’t have to try to power up your engine in the middle of an icy hill.
5. Know your brakes. Threshold braking is the best way to stop in the snow. It involves keeping the heel of your foot on the floor and using the ball of your foot to apply firm pressure on the brake.
6. If it all possible, simply stay home. Even if you are good at navigating icy, snow-swept roadways, not everyone else is. If you don’t have to leave the house, don’t.
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