- Inspect your vehicle before you leave to make sure that all safety features, including your battery, lights, and windshield wipers, are working.
- Review your insurance policy to confirm that you have purchased collision, towing, rental, and Personal Injury Protection benefits.
- Review your health insurance policy so you know which hospitals and doctors are in-network.
- Pack an emergency safety kit with extra food, phone charger, and blanket.
- Plan a different route without bridges, overpasses, and steep hills.
- Study the link above, Google Maps, and Waze to survey wrecks and slower traffic.
- Use your headlights.
- Drive slower than usual. Leave extra space between the vehicle in front. Be prepared to stop.
- Shift into a lower gear.
- Drive extra defensively. Be looking ahead for a safe escape route including a small ditch off the road.
- Do not apply your brakes quickly, especially if you are driving a SUV or truck. Take your foot off the brake if you start to slide and steer into a skid.
A winter weather advisory is in effect for North Texas today. There is a good chance of freezing temperatures and rain that could leave a sheet of ice on our roads and bridges.
By Saturday night, the wind chill may be almost zero degrees. We may break all-time low records on Sunday. The roads could be treacherous by then.
Texans rarely have to drive on dangerous streets, so the chance of being in a car or truck crash will multiply. Hitting a patch of ice could lead to disaster.
Here is a real-time map that will help you plan a safe route from DriveTexas.org.
The problem is compounded because other drivers will forget to slow down. Others will continue to text and drive. Even worse, some will drink and drive.
Unfortunately, police officers and emergency rooms (and yes, personal injury lawyers) will be busier than usual.