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Atlanta Under Siege
ATLANTA UNDER SIEGE
The winter storm that was predicted for a week finally arrived—and did not disappoint. With precipitation swinging from freezing rain to snow, and winds gusting at times over 40mph, the storm packed a punch over Georgia, including Atlanta. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency on Friday, January 14, 2022, for 91 Georgia counties. GDOT was out in advance, pre-treating roads, but with power outages affecting traffic lights, trees down on roads, and blowing snow at times, road conditions were hazardous.
As of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, roads were still tricky, with Governor Kemp urging people who did not need to travel to stay home. If you have to be out, AAA advises the following when driving on icy/snowy roads:
- Drive slowly. Always adjust your speed down to account for lower traction when driving on snow or ice.
- Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Apply the gas slowly to regain traction and avoid skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry and take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.
- Increase your following distance to five to six seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
- Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
- Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.
- Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads will just make your wheels spin. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill slowly.
- Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill.
WINTER STORM ACCIDENTS
Despite employing all of the safety measures above, and even with GDOT working around the clock to treat the roads, accidents do and will happen. Black ice, blowing snow creating white-out conditions, and downed trees and/or power lines on roads are just some of the conditions that can lead to motor vehicle accidents in bad weather.
Severe weather can be both frightening and dangerous for travelers. Winter storms, bad weather and sloppy road conditions are a factor in nearly half a million crashes and more than 2,000 road deaths every winter, according to research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Drivers should know the safety rules for dealing with winter road emergencies. AAA urges drivers to be cautious while driving in adverse weather.
When in an accident, the most important thing is to ensure the health and safety of the people involved. Calling EMTs to the scene is the best way to ensure that everyone is taken care of, as well as documenting the care of all those involved in the accident. Taking photos of the accident scene and the vehicle(s) involved is very helpful for making a future claim for compensation of medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damages. Additionally, getting contact information of any witnesses to the accident is also extremely helpful. Finally, contact a personal injury attorney to help you recover the compensation you deserve and will need to make you whole again after an accident.
CONTACT YOUR ATTORNEY
If you or someone you know has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact Dave Thomas at The Thomas Law Firm for a free consultation regarding your legal rights.
How Can You Get in Touch?
If you want to set up a free, no-obligation consultation, call us at
678-264-8348 or contact us online. We will be happy to meet with you.
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