A serious accident took place this last week in Gulfport, Mississippi according to recent news reports. The traffic along I-10 is backed up for miles after authorities say a multiple vehicle accident blocked westbound lanes.
Police officials say the accident took place between the Lorraine-Cowan Road exist and the Highway 49 exit sometime Tuesday afternoon. Mississippi DOT officials say that there were three separate accidents caused by hydroplaning. One of the collisions was so severe that the car hydroplaned, crashed into another vehicle, flipped into a ditch and then landed upside down.
Police say the chain-reaction crashes took place after a sudden downpour began which caught interstate drivers by surprise. The crashes left several people injured including one who was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
The term “hydroplaning” is commonly used and refers to the skidding or sliding of a car’s tires across a road’s wet surface. Hydroplaning occurs when a tire encounters more water than its treads can safely scatter. Water pressure in the front of the wheel pushes water under the tire, and the tire is then separated from the road surface by a thin film of water. This thin layer of water causes the tires to lose traction. The result is loss of steering, braking and power control; a recipe for disaster.
Hydroplaning can occur on any wet road surface, however, the first 10 minutes after a light rain can be the most dangerous. When light rain mixes with oil residue on the road surface, it creates slippery conditions that can cause vehicles, especially those traveling at speeds greater than 35 mph, to hydroplane. This frequently leads to dangerous accidents because once a car truly loses tractions there is little that a driver can do to keep control of the direction of the vehicle.
Safety experts say that to reduce the risk of hydroplaning there are some important steps that drivers can take. First, make sure that all your tires are properly inflated. Rotate and replace your tires as needed and make sure you never drive on worn tires. It’s critical that the rubber grooves be deep enough so that they can properly channel water away from the surface of the pavement. Also, slow down when you are driving on wet roads, the faster you drive the harder it is for your tires to scatter the water and maintain a grip on the road’s surface. Avoid driving through standing water, this often means steering clear of outer lanes where water tends to accumulate. It’s also a good idea to drive in the tire tracks left by the cars in front of you. Finally, and most obviously, avoid sudden movements or hard braking to ensure the best road grip possible.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Mississippi auto accident that was not your fault, the first thing you should do is get the medical attention you need. After that, please contact the Jackson personal injury attorneys at Kilpatrick & Philley at 601-707-4669.
Source: “Multi-vehicle accident causes traffic on I-10 west in Gulfport,” published at WLOX.com.
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