In the event you get caught out driving in a hailstorm, the safest thing you can do is to park your vehicle by the roadside or under shelter as quickly as you’re able. However, that is not always possible. Data from the National Weather Service suggests that it takes a hailstone the size of a golf ball (1.75 inches) to cause some hail damage to a vehicle. If the hailstones are smaller than that, you might choose to keep driving. In this article, we look at what you need to know about driving in hail.
Stay Calm
It can be nerve-wracking to drive in a hailstorm. However, as scary as it is, you must stay calm and know that you’re safest sheltered in your vehicle. Do not panic or leave your vehicle, since you can also end up being hurt by the impact of the hailstones. You should only leave your vehicle if you’re able to park it in a parking garage. Note that it may take some time for the storm to pass, so check the weather on your phone once you’ve pulled over to determine how long the hailstorm may be.
Stay on the Road
Driving during a hailstorm can be dangerous, as your visibility and that of other drivers is affected. However, if you are caught in a hailstorm, keep on driving until you find a safe place to pull over. If you park under an overpass, make sure to keep your emergency lights on and your vehicle out of traffic. In some cases, hail damage can include shattered windows, so be sure to shelter underneath a blanket in your vehicle if you’re unable to drive any further but haven’t found a safe place to park.
Protect Yourself
What you need to do if you find yourself driving in a severe hailstorm is to find a sheltered place quickly. This may even require you to change direction and head towards the nearest secure location. Firstly, you must assess the situation and decide if it would be safer to keep driving or to go park somewhere. If driving presents a danger to you, then get to a shelter as soon as you can. If you cannot continue driving due to low visibility or safety, pull over. You may be tempted to pull a blanket over your vehicle to protect it, but you must weigh the risks to your own safety first if you get out of the vehicle. Risking serious injury or head trauma is often not worth it.
Driving in a hailstorm presents several challenges, one being your safety and the other being hail damage to your vehicle. Therefore, you must do everything you can to ensure that your car is safe, but more importantly, that you are secure as well. To do this, stay calm so you can make sound decisions that are not panic driven. In the event a hailstorm does damage your vehicle, contact Dent Shop for a free estimate, swift and superior hail damage repairs and hail damage claims assistance.