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A four-car pile-up just after dusk in central Indiana resulted in the death of a 68-year-old beloved city clerk-treasurer, whom witnesses say was traveling at a high rate of speed when she braked suddenly, causing a chain reaction.Our Highland car accident attorneys recognize this incident as a stark reminder that everyone needs to practice safe driving habits, especially as we round out the last several weeks of winter and particularly at night.

A recent snowstorm has had numerous agencies across the state reporting people sliding off the roads, many of which are caked with at least some amount of fresh, slick snow or slippery ice.

In fact, the weather was blamed in at least three serious accidents in a single day recently, including a fatal crash on I-70 near Cloverdale, just outside of Indianapolis. There was also a semi-truck accident on Indiana 37 that prompted the highway to be shut down for several hours.

Dozens of counties were under a state-issued travel advisory, and a handful were even under watches and warnings.

Travel advisories are issued by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, and they can be an invaluable resource for motorists who are planning to head out. Especially during the winter, it would behoove you to check with the agency by visiting http://www.in.gov/dhs/traveladvisory/, just to see what kind of weather you will be dealing with. If it’s bad enough, you may want to skip your trip altogether, if possible.

There are three levels of advisories in Indiana. Those are:

  • Advisory – The lowest-level of local travel advisory, which means that your routine activities or travel in certain areas could be restricted due to perilous conditions. Use caution.
  • Watch – This means there is some condition that is a threat to public safety and that only essential travel (to and from work, emergency situations) should be carried out.
  • Warning – This is the highest level of travel advisory, wherein travel may be restricted to emergency personnel. During a warning, individuals should refrain from all travel, comply with necessary emergency measures, cooperate with and obey public officials.

Even if you check on the advisory in your location and still choose to head out, it’s important to expect the unexpected. Weather, of course, can change at a moment’s notice, and winter weather can be particularly hazardous.

You want to make sure your car is “winterized,” (check all ignition, brakes and wiring, antifreeze levels, tires, batteries, make sure you have spare tire, jumper cables, bag of salt or cat litter, tow and tire chains, shovel, etc.).

After that, the main thing to keep in mind is your speed. In snowy and icy conditions, you need to give yourself more reaction time, which means you need to slow down considerably. Give yourself about three times more space than you otherwise would between you and the vehicle in front of you.

Go easy on your brakes. That is, slamming them on will likely cause you to spin out of control in snow or on ice. Don’t use cruise control in those conditions and pay particular attention on bridges or overpasses, as these areas will freeze first and may catch you off-guard if you aren’t careful.
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More than a decade in the making, the newest Indiana parenting time guidelines have been adopted by the Indiana Supreme Court, and are formally in effect as of March 1.Our Gary child custody lawyers know that the updated version is child-focused and emphasizes parental cooperation in each child custody case.

However, the high court stresses that these guidelines are just that: a general foundation for how judges, parents, lawyers and advocates should approach the entire process. They aren’t rules set in stone, so judges will still maintain a fair amount of flexibility for special circumstances or situations.

As of 2010, less than 50 percent of households in Indiana are those headed by both husband and wife. Nearly 15 percent are single households headed by mothers with no husband, while about half that are single father households.

In addition to underscoring to all parties that the core consideration through all of this is the well-being of the children, the 33-page document helps to resolve some of the areas of family law that were previously somewhat unclear or ambiguous in Indiana.

Up until now, family law judges were left largely to their own discretion in setting up a “reasonable” schedule for visitation. For many families involved, that often meant that you were at the mercy of the judge and her philosophy. In the end, that resulted in great disparities in visitation schedules throughout the state.

These guidelines are meant to institute greater uniformity. Additionally, the whole concept of “visitation” has basically been tossed out the window. What courts are now expected to help regulate and enforce is the amount of “parenting time” that each parent has with the children. It’s a recognition that the time parents spend with their children is of greater value than just a “visit.”

Some of the new guidelines specifically address matters of expanded technology with regard to parent-to-parent communications. For example, parents have to exchange e-mail addresses. Frequent communication by both parents regarding the child through phone calls, e-mail or video chats is encouraged.

Another area that received specific attention was communication between the non-custodial parent and the school system. There has historically been a lot of contention in this area because it was deemed the custodial parent’s responsibility to inform the other parent about major events, parent-teacher conferences and grades. The new guidelines spell out that the non-custodial parent has every right to contact their child’s school directly and to be informed about these types of things.

The court also strongly recommends that parents work out holiday schedules six months to a year in advance. Sitting down with a calendar and hashing it out ahead of time can avoid conflict. Additionally, there were a number of holidays that were added to the list of those that must be negotiated, including President’s Day and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are now considered a single holiday and the Christmas vacation is divided in two. Plus, the summer vacation is also now divided in two.

Historically, family law courts were slammed around the holidays, with a flood of parents filing complaints or requests to change the schedule. These guidelines are intended to reduce conflict around these times.

Of course, there will always be families where conflict is seemingly inevitable. The new parenting guidelines have an entire section devoted to those who fall in this category. “High conflict” parents are defined as those for whom there is a pattern of ongoing anger, mistrust, inability to cooperate or communicate and litigation. In these cases, the judge can enact measures that will limit the parents’ communication, with exceptions for emergencies. There are also designations for responsibility of the parent who is “on-duty” and the one who is “off-duty.”

Your child custody attorney will be in the best position to explain these new guidelines and to protect the irreplaceable relationship you have with your child.
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Teen drivers in Indiana are at high risk of being involved in a traffic collision.In fact, our Highland car accident lawyers understand it’s more dangerous for them here on our roads than anywhere else in the country. That’s not a scare tactic. That’s reality, according to a recent study by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

While Indiana tied with Tennessee in terms of the sheer number of teen driver fatalities in the first six months of 2012 (which totaled 16 for each state), Indiana was far higher in terms of the reported increase from the first six months of 2011.

While Tennessee saw its teen driver deaths spike from 6 to 16, here in Indiana, we went from 3 to 16. That is the biggest increase in the country. It’s not something we want to be known for as a state, and it’s certainly not a price we are willing to continue to pay.

Just last month, Indiana was given a mid-level “yellow light” rating by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety in terms of our implemented highway safety initiatives. Two of the top safety measures we had yet to enact were graduated driver’s license restrictions that required teens to be at least 16 years-old in order to have a learner’s permit and a similar provision that would restrict teen drivers’ ability to operate a vehicle at night.

We would sincerely hope that such measures could gain significant support now that we have learned that we are without question the worst in the country when it comes to protecting our youthful drivers – and those who share the road with them.

The GHSA indicates that if the final 2012 statistics follow this same trend, it will be the second year in a row that we will have seen increases in teen driver fatalities nationwide. That is an extremely troubling prospect, especially as states had managed to reduce that figure every year prior since 2003.

Researchers say there are a number of reasons why we may be seeing this sharp increase. One is an improving economy. Of course, there are many great things about this, but lower gas prices, more jobs and pay increases inevitably mean that Americans – including teenagers – have more ability and opportunity to be on the roads in the first place.

But that’s not truly where we need to place the lion’s share of the blame. At the end of the day, it’s distraction, distraction, distraction. Teens who are talking and texting behind the wheel pose an enormous risk to themselves, their passengers and those in the vehicles around them. While the GHSA’s report focuses on fatalities, the fact is, traffic accident injuries stemming from teen distracted driving are numerous.

In fact, a recent study conducted by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and Virginia Tech found that distracted driving accounted for an eye-popping 80 percent of all crashes, with 18 to 20 year-olds four times more likely to be involved in accidents overall.

Teens need to know that absolutely no text message, conversation or favorite song is worth dying for. In teaching your teen to avoid distractions behind the wheel, drive home the following points:

  • Don’t eat in the car.
  • Wait to mess with the controls, mirrors, heaters, and radio until you have come to a complete stop or are in park;
  • Don’t drive with friends in the car, if you can avoid it.
  • Keep your cell phone in your purse or tucked inside the counsel to avoid temptation.
  • Keep the radio volume to a minimum, otherwise you might risk a failure to hear emergency vehicles or other important roadway sounds – particularly if you’re driving in reduced visibility;
  • If something falls to the floor while you are driving, leave it. You can pick it up when you’re stopped;
  • Don’t try to read while you’re driving – that includes e-mail, internet surfing and text messages.

We can’t get back those precious young lives we’ve already lost, but we can make it a point to do everything in our power to prevent the same fatal errors from happening again and again.
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Seldom do people marry believing that it’s temporary. They expect it will be forever.However, as an increasing number of baby boomers are beginning to find out, forever is a very long time.

Our Munster divorce lawyers know that the number of over-50 clients we’ve seen in recent years has been on the rise. Now, the National Center for Family and Marriage Research confirms that this is a nationwide trend. Between 1990 and 2010, researchers say the divorce rate doubled for over-50 couples.

This is a marked shift from the historic trend. In the past, divorce primarily involved younger couples, those who had perhaps married too young and soon realized they had made an awful mistake. Back in 1990, these individuals accounted for 90 percent of all divorces, while those 50 and older accounted for just one in 10.

As of 2010, 50-and-older couples accounted for 25 percent of all divorce filings. It’s higher for those who are already in their second or third marriage.

Some speculate that some of the same things that can recharge a marriage can also cause it to falter. For example, the kids leaving home. Many couples might see this as a chance to revel in one another. But increasingly these days, couples are finding that the kids were the glue, and so the union comes undone.

Another factor is that more often than ever, women have independent and successful careers outside the home. They don’t have to stay in the marriage to survive financially.

Additionally, as the baby boom generation ages, the number of seniors is rising at a rapid rate, which means their overall divorce numbers are going to be higher. People are living longer and healthier too, which means people are less apt to simply accept the status quo solely based on the feeling that it’s too late to change.

And finally, those who have been married and divorce before, although they may be loathe to go down that road again, know when it’s not working. And they know that, having been through it once, they can go through it again and come out alright on the other side.

All of this said, our Munster divorce attorneys are keen to the fact that the needs of divorce clients in their 50s and 60s are far different than those in their 20s and 30s.

Younger couples are primarily going to be concerned with things like child support, mortgage payments and co-mingled debts. There may still be some of that for older couples, but we have found concerns tend to shift to ensuring health insurance for both parties, sorting out home equity liability on underwater homes and long-term support payments and savings.

There is a lot that we can work into the divorce arrangement, depending on your individual situation. The important thing is planning. If you are the one who will likely be initiating the divorce, you may want to sit down with a divorce attorney and a financial planner before even having extensive talks with your soon-to-be-ex. It’s not a matter of loyalty, it’s a matter of practicality and of ensuring your long-term needs will be met.

If you are the one who is being filed upon, do not allow shock to stop you from hurrying to see a lawyer. In some cases, the earlier we can review your case the better our results will be.

As you are going through the process, keep the following in mind:

  • Save as much as you can, with the understanding that your income and monthly expenses may be substantially impacted by the aftermath of a divorce;
  • Refrain from continuing to support your adult children, whether it is through monthly expenses or a $25,000 wedding. At the very least, wait until the dust has settled and the ink has dried.
  • Meet with a financial planner, in addition to meeting with your divorce attorney. In some cases, we will work with financial planners in order to help you hammer out an agreeable divorce settlement that will help you well into retirement.

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Three people were killed in an early morning crash in Lake County, and rescuers reportedly found the vehicle submerged in a creek off Belshaw Road.Our Lowell car accident lawyers understand that the deceased were identified as a 21-year-old male driver, a 20-year-old female passenger and a 40-year-old male passenger.

While investigators are still looking into how events unfolded, we recognize that Indiana’s numerous bodies of water (18 rivers and four lakes – not including Lake Michigan) create ample opportunity for tragic scenarios such as this to occur. It’s important for drivers and passengers to know what to do in the event of vehicle submersion. Fast, decisive action can often mean the difference between life and death.

In this case, authorities believe the vehicle was moving east on Belshaw when for some reason it left the road as it was rounding a curve. After digging into the grass, the car flew into the air and hit a tree before plunging into the creek and coming to a rest on its roof.

What we don’t know at this point is whether the individuals inside were killed upon impact or whether they drowned. In many submerged vehicle situations, surviving the initial impact is the biggest challenge. That is why is is so important to always, always, always wear your seat belt. There is the mistaken belief that somehow wearing your seat belt is going to mean you’ll be stuck in a vehicle if you land in the water. This is false. What’s more, your ability to be alert and conscious upon impact is going to make all the difference in whether you’ll be able to survive the vehicle’s entry into the water.

If this is a situation in which you ever find yourself, the National Safety Council suggests the following:

  • Brace yourself for the impact. As soon as you realize you are going to go off the road and into the water, put your hands on the steering wheel at the 10 and 2 position. This reduces your risk of injury or unconsciousness from the airbag’s deployment.
  • Do your best to stay calm. Panic consumes energy and air – neither of which you can afford to lose right now.
  • Unbuckle your seat belt. People often forget to do this, but it’s the very first thing you need to take care of.
  • Unbuckle the children, starting with the oldest, who may be able to help with the others.
  • Forget your cell phone. People have lost their lives trying to dial 911 in a sinking car.
  • Open the window. Forget the door. An electric window should still work for up to three minutes in the water.
  • If you can’t get the window open manually, your focus needs to be on breaking it, either with an object or your foot.
  • Once the window is open, grab the children, take a deep breath and swim out and up.

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The fact that most drivers are aware of the potential dangers of actions like speeding, texting and drinking behind the wheel is a testament to the intensive efforts of public safety officials.However, our Hammond car accident attorneys know there is a disconnect between this awareness and actual driving habits. That is, people recognize that these actions are risky and many even support tighter laws for violators – but they also continue to commit such offenses themselves.

This phenomenon was most recently highlighted in the AAA Foundation for Safety’s Traffic Safety Culture Index survey, which polled some 4,000 drivers – oversampling the 16-to-18-year-old crowd – regarding their road safety views and habits.

What researchers discovered was that with almost every major safety concern, there was a very clear “Do as I say, not as I do” pattern. Drivers expressed the belief that while things like driving drowsy aren’t acceptable and should be harshly penalized, many admitted to committing such offenses themselves at some point over the last year.

For example, almost half of all those questioned reported that sleep-deprived motorists are a serious threat to personal safety and almost 100 percent said it was unacceptable for someone to drive a vehicle when they were so tired they were fighting to keep their eyes open. Yet almost a third admitted to driving drowsy within the past month. A fifth reported having done it more than once. A small portion said they do this regularly, with men about 7 percent more likely than women.

We have to consider too that this is all self-reported, so the actual numbers are in all likelihood much higher.

Red light running was another problem on which researchers focused. More than 90 percent of respondents said it was unacceptable for a driver to run a red light if they could have safely made a stop. More than 55 percent said they would support the use of automatic ticket cameras to issue citations for red-light running in urban settings. Yet astonishingly, nearly 40 percent said that they had done it themselves in the 30 days prior (which makes you wonder why there aren’t even more serious accidents every day!). A quarter of respondents said they had done it more than once.

Speeding too is widespread. Almost half of all motorists said they viewed going more than 10 miles per hour in a residential area posed a significant safety threat. Roughly 35 percent said the same of those who traveled more than 15 miles per hour over the speed limit on the expressway. At the same time, about half conceded to doing one or the other during the previous month. Twelve percent said they sped frequently.

The use of cell phones – both calls and texts/emails – is also a leading cause of accidents. Almost 60 percent of drivers said that other motorists talking on the phone posed a serious personal safety threat, and almost 100 percent said the same about texting. Yet, nearly 70 percent admitted to talking on the phone while operating a vehicle in the last month and another 35 percent said they had typed or responded to a text or e-mail. Researchers noted their belief, based on crash statistics involving phones, that the actual rate was likely much higher.

Impaired driving is another risky behavior that most people agreed poses a significant hazard on the road and were in favor of tougher DUI laws. In this case, about 15 percent of motorists admitted to at some point over the last year driving when their blood alcohol content was either close to or over the legal limit of 0.08 percent. About 10 percent said they had done so more than once.

As this research reveals, we can’t always trust that other drivers are going to be engaging in safe behaviors. Cautious, defensive driving is paramount.
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Today is an unofficial U.S. holiday – Super Bowl Sunday. Across the country, hosts are cooking up pots of spicy chili, marinating those burgers and brats for grilling – and making last-minute beer runs.Our Highland personal injury attorneys know that Super Bowl Sunday is a notoriously dangerous day to be on the road. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, alcohol was a factor in 43 percent of all fatal crashes on Super Bowl in 2011. On most other days, alcohol is a factor in about 30 percent of all fatal crashes.

Some research has indicated that historically, the statistics have been worse – especially if your team loses.

Scientists at the University of Toronto recently looked at crash data on Super Bowl game days dating back 27 years – and found significant increases. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the data showed that while there was actually a 10 percent drop in DUI crashes during the game, the hour immediately after the game was deadly – with a 70 percent increase in accidents overall. Throughout the evening of Superbowl Sunday, the average accident rate rose by 40 percent compared to an average Sunday evening.

Whereas the average number of people who died in traffic accidents on a typical Sunday was 17, the researchers found it rose to 24 lives lost on Super Bowl Sunday. (Last year, it was even higher, with 27 people killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes on Super Bowl Sunday, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association.) And those injured in traffic crashes increased from 1,300 on an average Sunday to 1,900 on Super Bowl Sunday. The number of overall crashes went from 3,000 to almost 4,000.

Of course, that’s nationwide. We can’t speak to the specific statistics in Indiana, but we do know law enforcement officials here are taking it seriously, promising to be out in full force conducting saturation patrols to nab suspected drunk drivers.

According to Bankrate.com, the average DUI arrest – after fines, court costs, attorneys’ fees, traffic school, probation and higher insurance rates – is going to run you about $10,000, maybe more.

Still, it doesn’t appear fans intend to refrain from imbibing. NBC News reports that the amount of money spent on beer in the two weeks surrounding last year’s Super Bowl was more than $1 billion.

Studies have indicated that in addition to alcohol, driver inattention is a big factor in crashes following the game, with fans replaying the highlights (and lamenting the bad plays) in their minds – consuming the attention they should be giving to the road ahead.

In Indiana, hosts, too, may be held liable if one of their guests to whom they served alcohol gets into a serious wreck – especially if that driver is underage. So if you are hosting a party tonight, make sure the following is part of your checklist:

  • Make sure all guests have a designated driver.
  • Make sure to offer plenty of non-alcoholic drinks and food.
  • Cut off alcohol consumption at the end of the third quarter, just like the stadiums do it. Give your guests a chance to sober up, and offer coffee and desert.
  • Have the phone numbers of local taxi companies on hand.
  • Take the keys away from anyone who seems to drunk to drive.

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New Years is a time when many begin to reevaluate their lives and think about where they are going in the future. For some, this brings up questions about whether they want to stay in their marriage or whether they want to explore the possibility of divorce.If you are thinking about potentially putting an end to your marriage, it is important to get some basic information about what the divorce process entails. To help you get started on making an informed choice, our Highland divorce attorneys have answers to some of the key questions. These New Years divorce FAQs can give you a good starting point in deciding whether divorce is right for you.

How Do I Get Divorced?
You can get divorced in Indiana if you or your spouse is a resident and have lived in the state for at least three months prior to the divorce. To start the process, you or your spouse will need to file a Petition for Dissolution. After no less than 60 days, the court will enter a decree of divorce. Your divorce settlement should also be entered at the time of your divorce decree.

Does there have to be a reason for the divorce?
Indiana does not require that someone be at fault for the divorce, but there must be grounds for the divorce. Grounds for divorce can include an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. In some cases, however, someone is responsible or does something to prompt the divorce. In these instances, grounds can be included.

Do we have to go to court?
You do not have to go to court in every divorce. If you agree on a provisional order, if you and your spouse both complete divorce education and if you can come to an out-of-court settlement agreement that resolves all of your issues, then you can get a waiver to avoid appearing in court.

How do Indiana courts divide property?
Indiana divides property equitably or fairly. It does not matter whose name the property is when Indiana courts decide how to divide property. Courts will look at the contributions that each party made to the marriage, as well as the party’s income, where the property came from (whether it was inherited, etc) and the party’s behavior with regards to marital funds when deciding how property is divided.

Who will get custody of the kids?
It is always best if you and your spouse can answer this question on your own and come to an agreement outside of court. You can even get help from a mediator to come to a solution. Resolving the custody dispute on your own is best so you can decide what works for your family. If you cannot resolve the custody agreement on your own, then the courts will decide the issue for you by considering what is in the best interests of the child.

Should I have a lawyer?
You should always have a lawyer when going through an Indiana divorce and your spouse should have a separate attorney. Your respective attorneys will negotiate a settlement, advise you of your rights, help protect your rights and argue for you in a litigated divorce should it become necessary to ask a court to decide issues of property or support.
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When it comes to nationwide roadway safety, Indiana did not fare as well as we would have hoped, according to a recently-released annual report highlighting legislative deficiencies.Our Highland personal injury attorneys aren’t surprised by the findings, though we hope it serves as an eye-opener and a starting point for lawmakers to advocate for change.

The “2013 Roadmap of State Highway Safety Laws,” conducted by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, reveals that 750 of the more than 8,300 traffic fatalities occurring in the last decade happened in 2011. These crashes have an annual economic impact of $4.35 billion to the state of Indiana, including costs of property damage, injury, hospitalization, lost work, law enforcement and emergency resources and disability. (Nationwide, that figure was $300 billion in 2011 – up from $230 billion in 2000.)

While we may never be successful in the complete eradication of inexperienced and irresponsible drivers, there is certainly more we could do. The state has been given an overall “yellow light” rating – a mid-range rank falling between optimal traffic safety measures (green) and abysmal (red).

Specifically, the report outlines the following areas where Indiana can improve:

  • Enact an all-rider motorcycle helmet law;
  • Enact graduated driver’s license programs that require drivers to be at least 16 years-old for a learner’s permit and strengthen nighttime driving restrictions for those drivers;
  • Enact a law requiring ignition interlock devices for everyone convicted of DUI – not just repeat offenders;
  • Enact a law that additionally penalizes impaired drivers who have minors in the vehicle with a charge of child endangerment.

There really is no excuse not to move on these actions, particularly considering that Congress passed a multi-billion dollar transportation initiative offering states monetary incentives to do so.

With regard to motorcycle helmet laws, only 19 states and the District of Columbia have them. Indiana is one of those lacking. The study indicates that the lives of nearly 40 motorcycle riders could have been saved last year if we had implemented an all-rider helmet law.

Indiana did earn a “green light” rating for its passage of optimal child booster seat laws, which is important given that traffic crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for children over the age of 5. Booster seats are believed to reduce the injury risk for kids aged 4 through 7 by about 60 percent.

We were also given a “green light” rating for our GDL laws, but it’s noted that we only have five of the recommended seven GDL laws in place. Between 2006 and 2011, some 900 people were killed in crashes involving drivers who were between the ages of 15 and 20. Passage of enhanced GDL laws, which allow novice drivers to gain experience gradually and safely, could serve to reduce that number even more.

For example, states with nighttime driving restrictions for under-18 drivers report teen fatality reductions as high as 60 percent during those hours.

With regard to impaired driving, Indiana gets only a “yellow light” rating. Of the 1,140 children under age 14 killed in traffic accidents in 2011, more than 15 percent were alcohol-related crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that somewhere between 50 million and 100 million drunk driving trips are made each year with children under the age of 15 in the vehicle – illustrating why the implementation of a child endangerment law to enhance criminal penalties for such violations is so critical.

Of course, we have laws to protect our children from abuse, neglect or negligence. And while driving drunk with a child in the car is clearly negligence, it’s not clearly stated as such under state law. Indiana is behind the curve on this, as one of only eight states lacking such a law.
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With only a small swath of northern Indiana bordering Lake Michigan, it’s natural that flooding isn’t as great of a concern here as in low-lying areas of states bordering the Gulf of Mexico.But our Munster injury lawyers know it’s unwise to ignore the potential risks, particularly when we see a combination of widespread rainfall, melting snow and saturated soil – all of which contributes to flooding, particularly in lowland regions of the state.

In fact, the Indiana Department of Transportation recently issued a warning urging motorists who encounter a flooded roadway to immediately turn around. It’s not worth the risk of vehicle damage, injury and even death that can occur when drivers try to take a chance in high water.

IDOT is taking the risk so seriously that it has launched a public awareness campaign titled, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”

While state traffic crews have been working around the clock to barricade highways that have seen flooding and remove excess debris from drainage sites, the fact is, flood waters can rise quickly and with little warning.

Sport utility vehicle drivers in particular may be at risk because drivers may have a false sense of security upon encountering flooding. Unless your vehicle doubles as a boat, be warned that six inches of standing water is sufficient to cause passenger cars to stall out. A foot of water is enough to cause you to float away.

The National Weather Service reports that the vast majority of flash flooding deaths occur when people encounter the flood waters in motor vehicles. It’s especially risky when the water is moving rapidly.

Bear in mind that if there are barriers blocking the roadway with warning signs of flooding, you would be taking an enormous risk with your life and those of your passengers by driving around them.

Note too that if you choose to travel flooded roadways and get stranded, emergency crews may not risk their own lives to save you. It’s possible you may not even be able to call for help, particularly if flooding results in downed communication lines. And even if help is on the way, it may take much longer than it normally would, due to the impeding water.

And if you get stuck and think you can simply wade through, consider that exposure to standing flood water has been documented by the Centers for Disease Control to be associated with a high risk of infectious diseases, chemical hazards and injuries.

You should also be cautious of roadways in the immediate wake of a flood. The fact is, flooding can cause damage to both roads and bridges. And just because the damage isn’t visible doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe to proceed.
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Phone: 219-836-2200
Fax: 219-836-9388

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