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Florida Officials Warn of the Dangers of Smoke, Fog and Heavy Rain

Smoke, fog and rain can make our roads a whole lot more dangerous.

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), officials throughout the state are working to raise awareness about the risks. Officials with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the Florida Forest Service and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) are pushing the “Beware of Smoke & Fog” safety campaign.

Our Port St. Lucie car accident attorneys understand how much your visibility can be reduced in these kinds of conditions. It’s important that drivers understand how these conditions affect their driving and ways to improve their safety. Officials with the DHSMV are here to offer you some safety tips to help you to get through these conditions safely.

Safe Driving Tips for Low Visibility:

-Slow it down. Avoid slamming on your brakes. This is how accidents happen. Try to slow down with ease.

-Make sure that your headlights are turned on low. Avoid your high beams and this will only further reduce your visibility.

-Avoid engaging in any distractions during low-visibility situations. Put down the cell phones and halt the conversations with the passengers.

-If you feel the need to stop because you can’t see, make sure you pull completely off of the road. Pull off as far as you can and turn on your hazard lights.

-If you see any hazards or dangers along our roadways, contact law enforcement officials or call 911. Your call can help to head off a potentially fatal accident.

-Check weather and traffic conditions before heading out.

“The agencies want every motorist to be aware of the dangers involved with weather events that affect our roadways and how fast those events can occur,” said Col. David Brierton, Director with the FHP.

The truth of the matter is that these conditions are unpredictable. Florida rain can fall at any second and fires and fog frequently reduce visibility unexpectedly. Be ready for varying conditions along our roadways to help to increase your safety, the safety of your passengers and the safety of other travelers.

This is especially important throughout the rest of the holiday season, as our roadways are slammed with vacationing and snowbird drivers. Be courteous of these motorists and remember they can easily get confused behind the wheel. Steer clear of them and keep your cool.

You may remember the car accidents that claimed the lives of 10 people earlier this year. According to FOX News, it all happened along Interstate 75 in Gainesville. The road was closed for some time because of both heavy smoke and fog. Roadways were cleared for drivers to proceed, but the dangers remained. Conditions were still too tough to see through and a massive auto accident, involving 5 cars and 6 big rigs, killed 10 people.

If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a car accident, contact the South Florida injury lawyers at Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your case. Call 1-800-561-7777.

More Blog Entries:

Florida Mother Targets Legislators in Distracted Driving Fight, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, November 15, 2012

November/December: Most Dangerous for Drunk Driving Car Accidents
, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, ovember 5, 2012

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