High Winds Causing Car Accidents

Police report that a January accident in Corpus Christi was caused by a vehicle crossing into the oncoming lane, resulting in a head on collision.

The collision took place on the Mud Bridge during the morning hours. According to reporting in KRISTV, the accident could have been caused by high winds on the bridge, though police didn’t comment on this. The drivers involved survived and were brought to the hospital.

Winds and head-on crashes.

There are areas of Texas where the winds can become very strong in a very short amount of time. West Texas is particularly well-known for this, but there are other areas of the state where this can happen. Any time you have largely clear land, a bridge or another geographical or road feature that tends to magnify the force of wind, you have to exercise extra caution, even if the weather seems calm.
High winds can blow vehicles—particularly tall vehicles, such as RVs and semis—into oncoming traffic very quickly. Sometimes, drivers may try to compensate and end up over-correcting, causing their vehicle to swerve into other lanes that are travelling in the same direction that they are, causing other types of car accidents.
Head-on collisions tend to be the most dangerous collisions of all, however. Because the vehicles are both heading toward one another, they strike with the combined force of both vehicles’ momentum.

Dealing with wind.

Most areas that are prone to high wind have warning signs posted. Some of them will have a windsock that will give you a visual queue as to the direction of the wind. Be wary in such areas. Areas where a canyon magnifies the force of the wind, where there are wide fields along the road and so forth are particularly dangerous in this regard.
If the wind becomes too much, pull over and wait it out, if possible. It can be very difficult to drive a vehicle in a high wind. As one more incentive to wait it out, high winds coming straight at your vehicle and greatly diminish your gas mileage. They can also cause debris to be blown onto your car.
Our Dallas auto wreck lawyers can help you if you’re in a head-on collision that was the fault of a negligent driver. Call us for a free consultation at (214) 651-6100.