Watch Out When the Roads Are Windy

06 Mar Watch Out When the Roads Are Windy

Texas and the American West in general are pretty famous for having a lot of wide-open spaces. Those wide-open spaces are beautiful but, when the wind starts blowing hard, it can sometimes get forceful enough to take you right off the road. Windy conditions can test your limitations as a driver and your ability to stay calm in a dangerous situation. Here are some tips for dealing with wind.

Know Your Limit

It's usually hardest for younger people to accept the fact that they do have limitations. Older drivers are usually experienced enough to know that there are limitations on what they can handle behind the wheel. If the wind is getting bad enough that it's pushing you across lanes and causing clouds of dust and debris that could potentially blind you, it might be a good idea to slow down or stop for a while. If you can find a rest stop or a place that's sheltered, take it. If you're on a motorcycle, you'll know right away when it's time to pull over.

Watch for Heavy Debris

If you're in a dusty area such as the desert southwest, the wind can start kicking up debris that is big enough and heavy enough to seriously harm your vehicle. It's also big enough to cause an accident if it hits your windshield. If you start seeing large quantities of tumbleweed coming across the road or if the rocks being driven by the wind are big enough to make a lot of noise when they strike your car, consider finding shelter and pulling over.

Know When You're Out of Control

You should not be fighting the wind to stay in your lane. One of the things you're going to want to keep in mind is that, if you're in a car or a truck and you can't keep your path of travel straight, a semi-truck is going to be having much more significant problems than you. If you can't keep your car traveling straight without constantly correcting for how hard the wind is blowing you over to one side of the road or another, pull over and wait for a while.

An accident lawyer in Dallas may be able to help you if somebody was blown into your lane and caused you injury. You can contact a car accident lawyer about accidents that involve big rigs, too, which sometimes happen because of bad weather conditions.