
You may be surprised to learn that driving over a bridge comes with potentially great risks. Follow along to find out tips to drive safely while crossing a bridge and how a proficient Tampa auto accident lawyer at Merricks Law Group, P.A. can help in the case of a tragic event.
Why might a bridge be more dangerous than a regular road?
Studies have shown that driving on a bridge may be up to 10 times more dangerous than driving on a regular road. Many factors contribute to this statistic.
For one, as a Florida driver, you may seldom encounter freezing rain or ice on the roads. But such weather-related conditions have and can occur. So when they do, you must be extra cautious when crossing a bridge. This is because a bridge overpass is not afforded the same temperature-control protections as in-ground, concrete city streets and highways. That is, they are getting cold air from both sides. And especially if they cross over a body of water, they may be more prone to freezing and icing over first.
Secondly, bridges are likely to have narrower lanes than regular roads. This may give you little to no room to react and avoid a pothole or other road obstruction that pops up in your lane. Ultimately, this may make you vulnerable to a tire blowout and possibly a subsequent rear-end collision.
Lastly, a bridge underpass may have a height clearance for trucks and other commercial vehicles that do not exist on the open road. So, if you are a commercial vehicle driver who ignores the warning signage leading up to the bridge, you may damage the roof of your vehicle or get stuck. This may prompt a subsequent rear-end collision, as well.
What tips should I follow to drive safely while crossing a bridge?
This is all not to say that you should avoid driving over a bridge at all costs. Rather, this is all to encourage you to proceed with an abundance of caution. Some tips that relate to this are as follows:
- You should avoid speeding and tailgating while crossing a bridge.
- You should limit your distractions while crossing a bridge (i.e., radio, cell phone use, etc).
- You should avoid abrupt braking, changing lanes, and accelerating while crossing a bridge.
- You should avoid driving a route that entails crossing a bridge when inclement weather conditions are poor.
- You should avoid pulling over on a bridge if you are experiencing car troubles and rather wait until you reach a regular road.
Unfortunately, you cannot control the tendencies of other drivers in the neighboring lanes of a bridge. This means that even if you practice cautious driving, you may still find yourself involved in a bridge accident. In this case, there is no time like the present to kickstart your legal claim. So please, at your earliest possible convenience, get in touch with a talented Hillsborough County personal injury lawyer from Merricks Law Group, P.A.