Although winters in Texas don’t bring much snow, they sure do bring a lot of hail. Hail creates slick conditions on the road that can catch drivers off guard. Not to mention, the thick blocks of ice can cause serious damage to your vehicle while driving. Hail can obscure your sight and create dents on your windshield. If you are unfortunate, hail can even break through the windows and cause major accidents. Titan Towing has listed 4 tips for driving safely during a hail storm in Texas.
Turn Low Beam Headlights On and Keep Your Distance
As soon as the hail storm begins, turn your low beam headlights on, slow down your speed, and stay aware of the vehicles around you. Maintain 3 times the usual distance from the back bumper of the vehicle in front of you, so you can avoid a rear-end collision. Don’t assume that other drivers know how to react to a hail storm, so always keep your distance and stay on high alert.
Pull Over as Soon as Possible
The impact speed of hail is greater on a moving object. Turn your emergency flashers on and pull over to the side of the road. If you are on the highway, find an overpass and pull all the way over to the right. Hail storms can diminish your sight significantly when on the road, so the best way to drive safely is to pull over and wait for the storm to pass. Severe storms will accumulate hail on the roads, causing them to be very slippery. You can lose control of the steering wheel and tires. Try to avoid pulling over in ditches or low-lying areas where water can accumulate quickly. This will help reduce damages to your vehicle.
Stay in Your Vehicle
Although this seems like obvious advice, you’d be surprised how often people exit their vehicles during a storm to check their location. Hail can cause serious injuries; large stones of ice are no joke. Stay in your vehicle until the storm has passed.
Protect Yourself from the Glass
Hail can break your car’s windows, especially the side and back windows. The windshield has reinforced glass, so it does a better job at withstanding the pelting of hail. If possible, turn your vehicle so that the hail hits the front of your car. The driver and passenger should recline their seats to be as far away from the windshield as possible. Turn your back to the windows. If you have passengers in the back seat, have them sit on the floor. You should always carry a blanket in your car for emergencies. Pull the blanket over you to prevent injury from possible debris and wait out the hail storm.
Titan Towing Is Only a Call Away
If you get into a wreck in the middle of a hail storm, give Titan Towing a call right away. We will send out our team immediately. Just let us know where, and we will be there as quickly as possible. If your car has undergone severe damage due to the pelting of hail and isn’t in driving condition, Titan Towing will take care of it. We’ll tow it to your desired destination. Our team also offers roadside assistance and will do our best to get you back on the road. Give us a call and let us know how we can help!
