Here in the Midwest, it's that time of year when snow starts falling, temperatures outside drop, and car accidents jump sharply. The thing that makes it worse is that unlike car accidents that occur during dry warm months, accidents that occur during Winter are often beyond a driver's control.

 

 

Common sense dictates that if the roads are slick, you should exercise caution, though sometimes car accidents happen even when using caution. People who get in accidents typically not only have to deal with damages and/or trauma, but they can also receive a citation from the police for anything from reckless driving to following too closely and driving too fast for conditions. I recall a few years back I was driving a Camaro IROC and I hit an ice patch and went sideways right into a ditch in Orland Park. As I stood on the side of the road waiting for a tow to pull me out, a police car pulled up right before the patch I hit. The officer came over and was about to write me a citation, when a second police car pulled up and proceeded to hit the exact ice patch I had hit earlier, and I watched as he slid right into the back of my car smashing the rear into a couple pieces. The first officer on scene admitted it was not my fault, and he even convinced the tow truck driver to tow my car for free (though I did tip the guy anyways).

 

 

As you can see, sometimes accidents in the Winter in the Midwest can be unavoidable, however you can still take some precautions. You can do things like make sure you're tires have a good amount of tread on them, drive cautiously and on the defensive, and don't panic. If you feel panicked, your body tenses up and any collision can become a lot worse... you just need to brace yourself if an impact is unavoidable. One final thing... it's Winter in the Midwest... it's not going anywhere anytime soon, so when it hits, don't be an idiot out there. After all, even if you don't care if you make it home or not, other people might care if they get home, so try to be considerate of other people out there.

 

 

This rant written by Joe Rosendorf Jr.  This is merely an opinion based on personal experiences, and is intended to inform based on those experiences.