Soggy weather, slick roads

It's day lights savings and we all enjoyed an extra hour of sleep this morning.  But this also means starting tomorrow that by the time we get into our car, truck, motorcycle, or bicycle and leave our work place in Bellevue, Seattle, or Tacoma and start our drive for home in Issaquah, Redmond, Renton, Auburn, or Kent, it will be dark outside.

As I look outside my window today, it looks like the rainy season is here to stay which in combination with the darkness, can make the evening commute a hazardous proposition.  Just the other day, I was driving on Highway 520 from Bellevue to Seattle to get to the King County courthouse during the middle of the afternoon.  Traffic was awful as usual and it had just rained.  I could see on the roadway of Highway 520 a sleek rainbow sheen of oil that had risen from the pavement onto the surface of the road.  I could see this because I was stopped or barely moving in bumper to bumper traffic and had nothing better to do while I crawled at a snail's pace towards downtown Seattle.

I thought many unassuming drivers could find themselves in a bad situation if they were driving too fast for conditions or had to take quick evasive actions, and all of a suddent lose traction and control resulting in a car accident in Bellevue, Washington or on the 520 bridge.  The combination of a little rain, oil on the road makes for slick conditions.

By the time I made it to the I-5 interchange with Highway 520, traffic was still backed up, and sure enough there was a tow truck, and Washington State Patrol vehicle attending to a motor vehicle collision.  The elevated on-ramp had that same shiny sheen  that I saw near the I-405 and Highway 520 interchange, but this time the Department of Transportation had put some sand on the slick surface.  So, be careful out there when driving or riding a bicycle.  We may saved on hour of sleep in the morning but soggy weather and slick roads may cause you to lose sleep at night if you're involved in an accident.

The Andrew Kim Law Firm helps people injured in accidents get back on their feet and on the road to recovery.  Please contact us if you have any questions.