Oregon’s brutal winters are known all over the country. With dropping temperatures, heavy winds, and frigid snow, the Beaver State gets its fair share of extreme weather conditions.
But how can you prepare your truck for the winters to come?
Preparing Your Truck for Oregon’s Extreme Winters
Preparing your truck for Oregon’s extreme winters is known as “winterizing.” The term describes the process of getting your car ready for driving in the sleet, snow, and ice that’s ahead.
The process involves some crucial steps:
- Check the various parts of your vehicle, including the windshield wipers, heater, battery, defroster, lights, and brakes, to ensure they are in good working condition. Bring the car into a professional mechanic’s shop for a thorough once-over to be safe.
- Check your tires. Ensure the air pressure is sufficient, and check the treads for any apparent signs of wear. Replace them immediately if they are bald, have punctures or tears, or are over five years old.
- Be sure you have tire chains. Oregon requires trucks and other vehicles to use tire chains in some situations.
- Always keep your gas tank full. Doing so will prevent ice from forming in the lines.
- Make sure your antifreeze levels are always topped off. If you know where the reserve is, check it yourself. If not, bring it to a mechanic, who will check it for you.
- Swap out your regular windshield wiper fluid with a winterized mix. This mix will remove the ice much quicker while keeping your windowpane clean and clear.
Adapt the Way You Drive for the Weather
During the winter months, adapting how you drive is imperative. Some tips and tricks for driving safely while on the road in the winter include:
- Avoid unnecessary lane changes. Even with your signal on, an unnecessary lane change will make you prone to an accident.
- Keep enough space between yourself and the car in front of you. Ice-coated roads can be slippery, requiring more space between yourself and the vehicle in front of you to avoid a collision. Keep at least two cars’ distance between yourself and another vehicle.
- Drive slowly. If given the choice between arriving on time or alive, choose alive every time. It’s okay to be a few minutes — or even a few hours — late if it means you arrive safely.
- Start and stop gently. Don’t slam on your brakes or suddenly accelerate, no matter how tempting it may be. You put yourself at risk of a severe accident if you do.
Make an Emergency Winter Kit
Packing an emergency kit and always keeping it with you during winter is essential for your safety and survival. Even a quick grocery store trip can become a dangerous expedition if a severe winter storm suddenly hits. Here are some essentials for your emergency winter kit:
- A first aid kit for injuries
- Jumper cables for dead batteries
- A cell phone charger
- A complete set of winter clothes, including boots, pants, a sweater, gloves, a hat, and thermal underwear
- Water and non-perishable snacks, such as protein bars
- A spare tire in case of a blowout
- Sand or kitty litter to clean up oil slicks and prevent water from freezing
- Tow ropes to get your truck out of a ditch
- Flares to alert others of impending danger
- A flashlight (with working batteries) to see potential danger in a dark, unlit area
How Do Storms Impact Collision Rates?
Bad weather, including rain, fog, snow, and ice storms in Oregon, makes driving more dangerous. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that more than 32,000 crashes in snow or sleet resulted in injuries in a recent year. In the Beaver State, severe weather conditions also play a role in collisions. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) reports that about 2,800 traffic accidents involved snowy or icy roads that same year. Almost 20 of these collisions were fatal, while about 1,200 caused injuries.
These statistics highlight the need for extra caution and preparedness when driving in Oregon’s winters. Driving slowly and paying close attention is critical, especially when driving in inclement weather.
What to Do After a Winter Crash in Oregon
Even if you fully prepare for snow storms in Portland, Oregon, a winter crash is sometimes all but inevitable. When the worst happens, you should:
- Remain calm and check for injuries. Sometimes, injuries aren’t immediately obvious. You should see a doctor even if you feel fine.
- Contact the police. A police report will be essential for your insurance company and attorney. Do not admit fault for the accident – just let the police do their job.
- Document all damages. Use your cell phone camera to capture pictures and videos of the collision and save them on an external hard drive so you don’t lose them.
- File your insurance claim promptly. This will prevent you from misremembering or forgetting any facts of the accident and will quickly begin getting the information to the insurance company for their purposes.
- Contact an accident attorney. Hiring an experienced accident attorney in Portland to represent your best interests is critical if you’ve been injured in a crash. A Portland truck crash attorney can ensure you are fairly represented and that your rights are appropriately protected. They can also manage the technicalities of Oregon’s insurance laws for you.
Contact a Portland Truck Accident Attorney for a Free Consultation
With decades of experience handling all accident claims, Rizk Law has helped hundreds of satisfied clients get the compensation they deserve for their injuries – including $520,000 for a semi-truck driver and passenger injured in a collision during a blizzard. Clients can’t stop raving about how “extremely helpful and professional” our attorneys are. Here’s what one client had to say:
“Richard, and his team do as exactly as they say. They walked me through the process, and made me feel like family. Everything the defense team through at us, I was prepared because of Rizk Law. Highly recommend Rizk Law.”
Let us help you pursue the compensation you deserve if someone else injured you in a truck accident in Portland, Oregon. Contact us today for a free consultation about your case.
