California is a place with a lot of different types of landscapes. And weather can add to the scenery, but it can also create dangerous conditions for drivers.
California motorists may experience thick fog, flooding, snow, and all on the same day! California residents and visitors need to know what to do to keep themselves safe while driving in inclement weather. They also may require help figuring out who’s responsible if someone hits them on a slick road.
Maison Law’s attorneys pulled together some of the most important things to know when driving Mother Nature’s worst. Knowing the steps to take can help drivers stay safe and earn the support they need to recover after a serious collision.
Do I Need a Lawyer After an Accident in Bad Weather?
If an icy-weather accident is caused by another driver and leaves you with a serious injury, you may do better by leaving your case to a skilled California car accident lawyer.
If you suffer a broken bone, head injury, or neck or back injury, your medical bills will likely run high. This cost can trigger car insurance providers to fight your claim. They may try to blame you for an accident during a storm. They may attempt to make your injury look less serious, so they can get away with offering you less.
Your attorney can be a safeguard against this unfair treatment and work to earn you the maximum in compensation. Contact Maison Law for a free case consultation. There’s no obligation to talk over your case with a real attorney. If you need our help, you also don’t need any upfront money. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then the attorney’s fee is paid out of the settlement money an insurer is forced to pay.
What Should I Expect from an At-Fault Driver in a California Weather-Related Accident?
Drivers and passengers hurt in bad-weather accidents should get support to pay for the best medical care available for as long as necessary.
A California attorney could request this support on your behalf and make sure you get coverage for a few factors you may not have thought of:
- Hospital and medical expenses.
- Estimates for the support you could need over a lifetime after suffering a permanent physical disability.
- The physical pain you endure and the pain that may be present in the years to come.
- Emotional distress, such as anxiety and PTSD symptoms, that you experience due to the trauma of a crash in bad weather. The depression you face during a long and difficult injury rehabilitation also factors in.
- Past and future lost income.
- Money to replace or repair your vehicle.
- Wrongful Death Benefits. Families who have lost someone to a weather-related accident can file a civil claim to ask for support for burial costs and remaining medical bills. They’ll also earn support for the guidance and lost income that the deceased will no longer be able to provide to the family.
Who Is at Fault for a California Accident on Wet or Icy Roads?
Believe it or not, blame can almost always be placed on one of the drivers involved in a crash during bad weather. Some may think that a car sliding into another vehicle on an icy road would be blamed on Mother Nature, but that’s not usually the case.
All drivers are required to do everything possible to avoid impacts on road surfaces affected by rain or cold temperatures. That means slowing down to a safe speed limit, and this speed limit may not be the one posted on the speed limit sign.
Motorists must travel at speeds “safe for conditions” regardless of what the speed limit is. They can be ticketed for speeding, even if they are traveling at the posted limit. If they are traveling fast enough that they can’t stop to avoid a crash, then they are likely going to be blamed for the crash and financially liable.
This duty in bad weather is explained in the California Vehicle Codes (CVC).
CVC 22350.
“No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the highway, and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property.”
DMV’s California Driver’s Handbook issued guidelines on how much you should cut your speed in certain weather conditions:
- Wet road: Reduce your speed by 5 to 10 mph.
- Packed snow: Reduce your speed by half.
- Ice: Reduce your speed to no more than 5 mph.
If you are struck by a reckless California driver on icy streets or on roads with ponding water, you can usually seek full damages. This might be the money you need to pay for surgery on a broken arm. It may be the support you require to get physical therapy for a neck injury. An at-fault driver should also be responsible for the paychecks an injured victim loses while being at home in recovery, unable to clock in at work.
California Bad Weather Accident Dangers
California traffic doesn’t have the best reputation. Add in some standing rainwater on the pavement or an icy mix falling from the sky, and nearly anything is possible. 30-car pile-ups and jack-knifed big rigs can make the local news. But behind those images, there are people coming away with injuries and even at risk of losing their lives.
Add to that traffic dangers that are more common in California than in some other states, like choking wildfire smoke, reducing visibility, or high winds knocking fast-moving drivers over a lane.
It’s not just a hazard for those living in Northern California’s colder, more mountainous climate. Highway 154 and San Marcos Pass in Santa Barbara County can suddenly be covered with snow and hail. Where I-5 runs through the mountains north of Los Angeles and over the Tejon Pass, lanes might unexpectedly glaze over with ice.
California’s Traffic Injury Mapping System (TIMS) tracks accidents involving snow, rain, fog, or high winds.
- TIMS documented 735 accidents involving weather in Los Angeles County in 2024. At least 11 people lost their lives in those collisions.
- There were 150 similar accidents in Fresno County for the year, leading to 11 deaths.
- By comparison, there were 146 weather accidents reported in San Francisco, without any fatalities involved.
There are plenty of accidents that happen in the winter months in Northern California and even along the California coast. Victims can have their lives upended and have to mount difficult injury recoveries. They’ll need to know where to find support. They may also need information on what to do if a reckless driver and the driver’s insurer refuse to accept blame.
Driver Safety When It’s Raining and Flooding
Heavy rains can leave freeways and boulevards with standing water, and perhaps even some flooding of a foot or more. This is a definite hazard for California drivers.
Even a wet film on the road can be enough to cause the grip between tires and road surface to fail. The biggest factor, of course, is again speed. Going faster makes it easier for drivers to hydroplane.
The California Driver’s Handbook suggests making these adjustments when driving in the rain.
- Drive slowly.
- Steer around standing water, if possible.
- Slow down if you hear sloshing sounds from the tires.
- Slow down when changing lanes or direction.
Drivers should think twice about traveling through any ponding water in flood conditions. If they do travel safely through flood waters, motorists should always test their brakes on the other side. Going through water that rises around tires can affect the function of the brakes.
Poor Visibility on California Roads
Visibility on a California highway may be reduced by fog, by smoke from a wildfire, or even by sand being blown around.
DMV’s California Driver’s Handbook warns that when you can’t see any farther than 100 feet, you shouldn’t drive faster than 30 mph. It’s also recommended that drivers find a safe spot to remove mud, ice, or snow from headlights when headlights dim.
Drivers should also consider pulling over in a safe spot and activating their hazard lights. It’s another case where motorists must travel at speeds that allow them to spot a nearby vehicle and avoid a collision. If you decide to continue on in a blanket of fog, you might be cited for striking a car from behind or by side-swiping a vehicle.
Tire Chain Requirements in California
In some higher elevation areas of California, chains may be required on cars and trucks going up mountainous highways.
There are levels of chain requirements according to conditions. In some situations, only big rig drivers are required to apply chains. Cars, SUVs, and smaller trucks may be exempt.
Caltrans explains that the speed limit in chains-required areas will be between 25 and 30 miles an hour.
The areas that might require chains will vary each day according to where storms hit. These are just a few of the most common areas where chains could suddenly be required:
- Interstate 5 north of Redding, CA
- Interstate 5 over Tejon Pass between Los Angeles and Bakersfield
- Interstate 80 over Donner Pass, which sits between Sacramento and Reno
- US HWY 50 over Echo Summit between Lake Tahoe and Sacramento
Drivers who put chains on to keep traveling are, in a way, admitting that they understand the dangers of driving in heavy snow. They must show caution to other drivers. If they travel faster than is safe and cause a collision, those drivers can be held accountable for the car damage and injury hardships they cause.
More information on tire-chain safety on California roads.
High Wind Safety on California Highways
Extreme winds are a common safety hazard in California. The “Santa Ana Winds” can roar out of the desert and cause dangers along I-15 through San Bernardino County and Los Angeles County. Bridges across the Bay Area and into San Francisco can harbor terrible gusts. “Bomb cyclones,” fast-developing storms, can form over the Pacific Ocean and hit California with powerful winds.
Vehicles can be blown off of the road surface. Big Rigs can also be toppled onto smaller vehicles.
Again, speed is key to the fault in many accidents involving wind. The slower and more cautious drivers travel, the less likely they will be spun out of control and into another vehicle.
These are a few of the tips to follow in a windstorm so you avoid accidents and blame for collisions:
- Reduce your speed. This gives you better control over your vehicle. You will have more time to react if your vehicle gets hit by a strong gust of wind.
- Maintain a firm hand position on the steering wheel. Strong wind gusts are unpredictable. If you are not holding the wheel properly and a gust hits, you can lose control of the vehicle.
- Be alert. Look ahead and watch for any debris on the road. Give yourself enough time to react to road hazards.
- Do not use cruise control. Maintain maximum control of the accelerator if a gust occurs.
- Be proactive. It may be safer to pull over and wait for the storm to pass.
More information for drivers struck by semi-trucks in California’s high-wind zones.
