Just a few days ago, the Northeast was slammed with a freezing ice, sleet, and snow storm that hit it’s stride during a workday morning and lasting throughout the day. Most schools were closed and people were advised to not drive unless absolutely necessary. It is very hard for the snow plow crews to keep the roads cleared and salted when the precipitation continues to fall from morning to evening, hence road conditions were very bad with this storm.
Unfortunately, I had an emergency with my pet and needed to get him to our veterinary clinic that day as the storm progressed. The trip to and from the vet’s office was quite an experience, even while driving cautiously, slow, and with a four wheel drive vehicle. Stops, turns, and intersections were difficult to navigate and fortunately I completed the round trip without getting in to or causing an accident while experiencing slipping and sliding along the way. If there were more cars on the road, the chances of a crash would have increased significantly.
The point is, if you find yourself having to drive during bad weather with poor road conditions, you are still responsible for an accident if your are deemed “at fault”. It doesn’t matter that you were driving cautiously and it was really the slick pavement that caused you to swerve and hit another vehicle. You can be deemed at-fault for a crash simply because you have custody and control of your car.
If one or more people suffer a serious injury in an accident, the at-fault driver can have their financial future put into jeopardy if not insured adequately.
On the other hand, what if your vehicle is hit by another? We’ve all likely experienced heavy footed drivers on highways during snow storms, driving way too fast for the conditions. As the old say goes, “an accident waiting to happen”. If they slam into your car, it’s their fault and unfortunately, you or a passenger in your car suffer a serious injury, you still need to have adequate NY car insurance coverage in case the other driver has no insurance or low liability limits on their policy. Without adequate supplemental liability insurance on your own policy, you can lose out on the money you’ll need to survive while recovering from your injury.
The moral of the story is first, to stay off the roads if at all possible during inclement weather events. It’s just not worth the risk to you or your loved ones, especially if a trip can be delayed or postponed or you can work from home. Secondly, you should have adequate NY car insurance protection in the event you have no other alternative but to drive in poor road conditions. Remember that carrying proper coverage not only protects against you causing injury to someone else, but also for someone else causing injury to you or your passengers.
If you have any questions regarding available insurance options, policy review or would like a NY car insurance quote, please contact us at 518-783-0105, we’re always glad to help. The NY Insurance Hub serves Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Latham, Cohoes, Watervliet, Clifton Park, Saratoga Springs, surrounding Capital Region areas and all of New York State from NYC to Buffalo.