By Attorney Wayne Cohen of Cohen & Cohen, P.C.
As the summer of 2013 windows down, we'd like to share a few safety tips about you regarding driving over a bridge. In July, Cohen & Cohen law firm client, Morgan Lake, was driving over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge when her car was struck by a tractor trailer. The air bags deployed and she was catapulted over the bridge. Thankfully, she was able to swim to safety.
Ms. Lake's case helps us look at a critical issue when driving over a bridge: should the driver have her window down? There is quite a bit of banter on the Internet about this point, and there are some opposing views. But here's where we come out, and why.
It is our conclusion that putting your windows down while driving over a bridge is a very prudent idea. If your vehicle falls into water, and the windows are up, you must either be able to roll the windows down, or break them. Both of these take precious time, and can be very difficult to accomplish during a stressful situation. On the other hand, if you car windows are down and your car becomes submerged, you can simply focus on extricating yourself from the vehicle. The only downside to this approach is that your car will be more buoyant with the windows up than with them down.
Wayne Cohen, Lawyer / Attorney, Contact Information
Cohen & Cohen, P.C.
1220 19th Street, NW
Washington DC 20036
202-955-4529
