Tips to Driving in a Dust Storm

A violent dust or sandstorm, also known as a haboob, usually arrives without warning. Typically, an approaching dust storm is characterized by an advancing wall of dust and debris that can be miles long and several thousand feet high. Due to limited visibility, dust storms are usually responsible for massive multi-car pile-ups.

Every year, on average, five people are killed in dust-storm-related auto accidents. Although they can happen any time of year, haboobs are most common between May and October in Maricopa and Pima County. If you find yourself on a road in Phoenix,the following Arizona dust storm driving tips can prove vital to your safety.

Arizona Dust Storm Driving Pointers

• If you see a storm approaching, get off the road immediately, stop your car and wait for it to pass.

• If you end up driving through a dust storm, turn on your lights and slow down. Use the center lines on the road as a guide.

• Do not, for any reason, stop your car on the roadway.If you do not wish to drive through a dust storm, pull your vehicle completely off the road, put it in park, pull the emergency brake and, most importantly, turn off your lights. Vehicles approaching from the rear often use the tail lights of the cars in front of them as a guide. Stopped cars that leave on their headlights usually result in collisions.

• Keep emergency items such as food and water in your car. Dust storms generally only last a few minutes, but can cause massive road delays.

• Do not swerve to avoid tumbleweeds; rather, run them over. Tumbleweeds cannot cause property damage to your vehicle.

• Sound your horn intermittently to alert fellow drivers of your presence. A dense dust cloud can prevent other drivers from seeing your vehicle, so sounding your horn occasionally will alert them to your location.

• After a dust storm has passed, use caution when returning to the pavement. The road may be slippery and pavement markings such as lane indicators may not be visible. Rain usually accompanies dust storms and can cause slick driving conditions.

If YOU or a loved one need some more dust storm driving pointers – or perhaps you have been involved in a car crash from a dust storm, the Phillips Law Group can help. We proudly serve Arizona injury victims and can provide decades of legal experience obtained from helping people just like you.

To find out how we can help, please call 1-800-706-3000 and a member from our intake team will quickly collect some details about your case and then connect you to one of our Phoenix personal injury attorneys – it’s that easy!

If you would like to start immediately, simply fill out the form at the top of this page! It’s FREE!