There is a saying that goes, “it is a bad workman who blames his tools.” The meaning of the phrase is obvious. If you didn’t do the best you could do, you should not give the excuse that the tools, things, or people around you are to blame. Ultimately if you are expected to do something, then you need to do that thing.
If you are driving a car, you are obligated to make sure the car is sufficiently safe enough to drive. Therefore, every car in the state of New York must be inspected on an annual basis. The state wants to make sure that the car is not a hazard to anyone else on the road minimizing the chances that in a crash that the blame is placed on the tool, in this case, the car.
An inspection does not take certain things into account, such as whether your car is ready for the winter. While one of the points of the inspection is to check tire treads, there is a minimum acceptable tread that is allowed, and that acceptable range is not ideal for driving in harsh winter conditions.
Cold outside temperatures cause the air in your tires to shrink, so make sure to check your tire pressure. In addition to that, make sure you have snow tires on your car that have better traction in icy, snowy conditions.
Now that your tires are ready for the road it would help if you could see out of the windshield. Once again, the inspection is looking for acceptable minimums. Your windshield wipers may be good enough to wipe away a mist of light rain, but can they handle the weight of driving snow? Windshield wipers specially made for the winter will help get rid of ice buildup. While you are at it, check the rear window as well. You want to make sure that the defogger in the back is working so you can safely see behind you as well. The same goes for the side-view mirrors. You want to be able to see out of every window and mirror as you drive.
To keep those windows clean, you want to make sure that you are using a window washing fluid that is designed for the freezing winter temperatures. In the summer, some people will fill the reservoir with water, but in the winter, that water will freeze not only clogging the system, and possibly breaking the hoses, it will keep you for being able to keep the window clean as you travel.
Unfortunately, not everyone on the road is so mindful of the state of their vehicle turning these machines into an extreme danger to pedestrians and drivers all around them.
It is a poor driver who blames his car. The car cannot make these changes on its own. The driver needs to be aware of the state of the car before taking it out on the road. If you are in an accident and injured while walking or driving, then you need to talk to an experienced attorney who knows how to handle those that cause injury due to negligence.
Contact Elan Wurtzel for a consultation and case review. Just like the car, you drive: you want the best there is.
