Failure to maintain control - 4511.202

[Syria_edwing]

Ohio-
As of every Monday I was heading to work at 6am. The wind had picked up and started drifting the snow so I had left early to give myself plenty of time to get to work. The main road wasn't too bad, could safely go the speed limit- 55. I turned onto a back road as I did every time. The begginning was ok I was going about 45-50, a few patches of snow left stuck to the roadway, up ahead I could see a snow drift so I tapped my brakes lightly to start slowing down and next thing I knew I was sliding sideways through a field and came to an abrupt stop hitting a telephone pole. At some point my car had turned 180 thankfully. My back of my car needs replace but other wise it's drivable and no damage to the pole. I wasn't stuck or anything. I called my mom and she said to call the cops for insurance mainly. This leads to my first question. If I didn't damage anything but my car, did I have to call the cops? When I was talking to the insurance she asked if they were there and I said yes and she responded "oh, really? Ok" as if I didn't need too.
Second to add insult to injury the cop gave me a ticket as stated above. He was very nice and explained "he didn't have a choice". This was after the first cops shift was up do he left. This second cop only glanced at pictures didn't look at the accident site or anything. There was nothing I could of done to avoid this accident. I feel I had reasonable control until the road conditions cause the snow to build up into my brakes and spin me out. The cop said to get it dropped in court depends on the judges mood, but what's every ones opinion here? And also remember - did I have to call the cops at all?

 

[Ohiogal]

Ohio-
As of every Monday I was heading to work at 6am. The wind had picked up and started drifting the snow so I had left early to give myself plenty of time to get to work. The main road wasn't too bad, could safely go the speed limit- 55. I turned onto a back road as I did every time. The begginning was ok I was going about 45-50, a few patches of snow left stuck to the roadway, up ahead I could see a snow drift so I tapped my brakes lightly to start slowing down and next thing I knew I was sliding sideways through a field and came to an abrupt stop hitting a telephone pole. At some point my car had turned 180 thankfully. My back of my car needs replace but other wise it's drivable and no damage to the pole. I wasn't stuck or anything. I called my mom and she said to call the cops for insurance mainly. This leads to my first question. If I didn't damage anything but my car, did I have to call the cops? When I was talking to the insurance she asked if they were there and I said yes and she responded "oh, really? Ok" as if I didn't need too.
Second to add insult to injury the cop gave me a ticket as stated above. He was very nice and explained "he didn't have a choice". This was after the first cops shift was up do he left. This second cop only glanced at pictures didn't look at the accident site or anything. There was nothing I could of done to avoid this accident. I feel I had reasonable control until the road conditions cause the snow to build up into my brakes and spin me out. The cop said to get it dropped in court depends on the judges mood, but what's every ones opinion here? And also remember - did I have to call the cops at all?

You could have avoided the accident. You could have been driving slower. You are responsible for your vehicle regardless of the road conditions. YOU spun you out due to how you were driving.

 

[Zigner]

I feel I had reasonable control until the road conditions cause the snow to build up into my brakes and spin me out.

You mean that you had control right up until you lost control.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

I concur. The only person I have heard not get a ticket for such activity is myself. It was on a dry road. The hub assembly fractured causing the loss of steering braking and tire blowout at highway speed and I had documentation in the vehicle I had just had the alignment/inspection/tire balancing done within 700 miles of the accident.

 

[Syria_edwing]

Ok so all in favor of the ticket. Anyone have comments on my other question?

 

[Ohiogal]

Ok so all in favor of the ticket. Anyone have comments on my other question?

You needed to call the police due to hitting other people's property.

 

[Ladyback1]

Ohio-
As of every Monday I was heading to work at 6am. The wind had picked up and started drifting the snow so I had left early to give myself plenty of time to get to work. The main road wasn't too bad, could safely go the speed limit- 55. I turned onto a back road as I did every time. The begginning was ok I was going about 45-50, a few patches of snow left stuck to the roadway, up ahead I could see a snow drift so I tapped my brakes lightly to start slowing down and next thing I knew I was sliding sideways through a field and came to an abrupt stop hitting a telephone pole. At some point my car had turned 180 thankfully. My back of my car needs replace but other wise it's drivable and no damage to the pole. I wasn't stuck or anything. I called my mom and she said to call the cops for insurance mainly. This leads to my first question. If I didn't damage anything but my car, did I have to call the cops? When I was talking to the insurance she asked if they were there and I said yes and she responded "oh, really? Ok" as if I didn't need too.
Second to add insult to injury the cop gave me a ticket as stated above. He was very nice and explained "he didn't have a choice". This was after the first cops shift was up do he left. This second cop only glanced at pictures didn't look at the accident site or anything. There was nothing I could of done to avoid this accident. I feel I had reasonable control until the road conditions cause the snow to build up into my brakes and spin me out. The cop said to get it dropped in court depends on the judges mood, but what's every ones opinion here? And also remember - did I have to call the cops at all?

There was no damage to pole that could be seen. The internal structure could have been damaged and needed to be checked out.

And...yeah, you should have been going slower. Blowing snow is nasty and dangerous, which you obviously found out.

 

[Syria_edwing]

They don't check the internal structure.I was going as slow as I needed, the road was fine, I just hit my brakes at the wrong place. You can be going 10mph and hit your brakes at the wrong time and u will spin easily.
So what I'm getting is no I didn't need to call them because there was no damage to anything but my own property.

 

[Zigner]

I was going as slow as I needed, the road was fine...

If that were true then there wouldn't have been an accident.

ETA: In fact, you recognized that you should have been going slower, that's why you hit the brakes. Unfortunately, it was too late. You failed to recognize the conditions you were driving in. It was a mistake. These things happen. Don't take it personally...it was just a mistake.

 

[Ohiogal]

They don't check the internal structure.I was going as slow as I needed, the road was fine, I just hit my brakes at the wrong place. You can be going 10mph and hit your brakes at the wrong time and u will spin easily.
So what I'm getting is no I didn't need to call them because there was no damage to anything but my own property.

WRONG. You hit the pole. You needed to call.

 

[Ladyback1]

They don't check the internal structure.I was going as slow as I needed, the road was fine, I just hit my brakes at the wrong place. You can be going 10mph and hit your brakes at the wrong time and u will spin easily.
So what I'm getting is no I didn't need to call them because there was no damage to anything but my own property.

You may not think that they check the internal structure, but they do and they can.

Yes, you needed to call local law enforcement. *IF* you had just slid off the road, and not hit anything but the berm/ditch, and could have gotten your car out without any assistance, then it is plausible you shouldn't have called police.

Dude! I live in MT. I know all about nasty roads (black ice, ice crusted snow, freezing fog, blowing snow, etc.). If you think you are going "just fast enough"? You should probably slow down.

 

[LdiJ]

You may not think that they check the internal structure, but they do and they can.

Yes, you needed to call local law enforcement. *IF* you had just slid off the road, and not hit anything but the berm/ditch, and could have gotten your car out without any assistance, then it is plausible you shouldn't have called police.

Dude! I live in MT. I know all about nasty roads (black ice, ice crusted snow, freezing fog, blowing snow, etc.). If you think you are going "just fast enough"? You should probably slow down.

This may sound like a really stupid question...but I am honestly curious. How do you check the "internal structure" of a wooden utility pole?...or even a metal one for that matter? I cannot visualize it.

 

[Ladyback1]

This may sound like a really stupid question...but I am honestly curious. How do you check the "internal structure" of a wooden utility pole?...or even a metal one for that matter? I cannot visualize it.

yeah, it was hard for me...until I saw a couple of guys measuring, running a meter, "listening" to the pole with what looked like a stethoscope and asked the significant other what they were doing. I have not seen them do it for metal, only wooden. They have what is like a "stud finder" to see if the internal integrity is still patent.