Driving Too Fast for the Weather Conditions

Driving in poor weather conditions requires choosing an appropriate speed and then continually adjusting that speed as the conditions change. The speed signs beside our roads set the maximum for driving in ideal conditions and sometimes drivers forget this. You must consider those around you as well as yourself.

It was always the stuff of nightmares for me when I worked on high speed highways because I knew that the drivers around me were not slowing down and could be well past the point of no return before they realized it.

Driving in Bad Weather Conditions

A good rule of thumb to follow when driving in poor visibility is that you should always be able to stop in half of the distance you can see. The buffer zone in front will allow you room to react to overtaking traffic that fails to slow down.

If you do have to stop, slow down gradually first. Give others behind you time to realize what is happening and react properly.

Do not stop in the travel lanes if you have the choice.

Winter Driving Awareness Video

This is a video from the Montana Highway Patrol. While it's focus is on winter driving, you could remove the word "winter" from the title and still information that is on topic. The video was taken from the camera in a patrol car at the scene of a minor collision on an interstate highway. Watch as it quickly goes from a minor incident to a series of major collisions.

While the video might have benefited from a demonstration of what drivers faced approaching the scene and how to have properly reacted to the situation it does show quite clearly what happens when they do not.

Don't follow their example.

Learn More

• Driving Too Fast for Road, Weather or Traffic Conditions

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