Making it to the Slopes

Southern California might be known around the world as one of the sunniest places on earth, but our mountains are havens for winter sports enthusiasts. Right now, thanks to some late blasts of El Nino-driven cold and wet weather, our mountain areas are enjoying a lengthened ski season well into Spring. That's very good news both for the local economy and for the countless avid skiers and snowboarders who live out here. At the same time, at the risk of seeming gloomy, we personal injury attorneys can't help but see the potential downside, as a lot of us are lot more experienced on the slopes than we are driving to get there.

Assuming you want to avoid needing the services of a vehicle accident lawyer, here are just a few tips. You can find many more by Googling around and finding some of the outstanding resources providing by the State of California and other, but here are a few highlights.

* Chains. If you heading into the snow , you want to make sure you either have them or know where to rent them. They are not optional. and they may still be required on cars with snow tires!

* Know what else to bring. Driving in snow can be unpredictable and situations can arise that require products ranging from flashlights and kitty litter (for traction if you get stuck in snow), to additional blankets and dry clothing.

* Keep your tank full. Especially when you're driving in unfamiliar areas, it's easy to find yourself terrifyingly low in gas when the distance between stations can be far longer than us city drivers are used to.

* Drive Slowly and Be Sparing of Your Brakes. Braking hard can be truly dangerous on an icy, slippery road. Drive slowly enough so that you can use your brakes as little as possible.

* Do Your Research. Especially if you've never driven in snow before, be sure to find out as much as you can. We've only just barely scratched the surface here.

* The Better Part of Valor. If the weather seems like more than you can handle, it just might be. Sometimes, the best thing to do is to just stay put.

Of course, as personal injury attorneys, we're here to help if someone else's negligence gets you into a bad spot.Still, it's obviously best to be careful and avoid being in that spot at all. Stay safe, everyone!