In the summer months, you may enjoy going up into the mountains for a drive. Many people love to see the majestic views and experience the curves and heights. However, accidents can easily occur on mountain roads, and because you might be farther from emergency services, you need to prepare.
Here are some safety tips from Road Trip America for driving in the mountains:
- Make sure your car is in good working order, especially the brakes, heater, defrosters and windshield wipers.
- Do not hug the center line. Mountain roads are much narrower than regular roads, and if another car comes at you from an opposite direction, an overcorrection could create a very hazardous situation.
- You should give the car going uphill the right of way.
- Your car may perform differently at 10,000 feet than it does at sea level. You might lose horsepower.
- Do not use the brakes to maintain your downhill speed. Downshift instead.
- Watch the temperature gauge in the car.
- Carry extra water for drinking. At higher elevations, you may dehydrate faster than you realize.
- Be observant about weather conditions, especially as you go up the mountain. Keep equipment for different conditions in your car.
- Mountain driving can be more tiring than driving on a flat road. Take breaks and limit your own driving to about six hours a day.
- Do not go down a mountain any faster than you can drive uphill.
If you are in a motor vehicle collision, the most important thing is to get everyone to safety. Get the names and contact information of anyone involved. If you can take pictures safely, do so. Write down all the details you can remember, even if you can take pictures. If you have serious injuries, you may want to talk to a personal injury attorney about filing a lawsuit to make sure you receive full compensation for your injuries.