No matter what time of the year it is, it is always possible to have a car accident. Car accidents can be incredibly stressful and can lead to all sorts of undesirable consequences, including injuries that take a long time to recover from and that can interfere with a person’s ability to support themselves.
However, you should keep in mind that even though you can have a car accident at any time, it is especially likely during the winter.
Surprisingly, the number of car crashes that take place is higher in the summer and autumn months, but the winter and the associated weather pose a special set of risks that make accidents particularly likely.
If you want to avoid getting into the situation and having to go to a personal injury attorney, you should take the appropriate precautions and be aware of the statistics pertaining to car accidents in the winter.
In fact, it would be helpful to know that the leading cause of death during winter storms is due to car accidents.
Approximately 70 percent of the roads in the United States are located in regions that receive more than 5 inches of snow per year, and 70 percent of accidental deaths that happen in the winter time take place in automobiles.
How likely is a car accident in the winter?
There are some staggering statistics that might help you see the importance of being vigilant about car safety in the winter time.
There are more than 1,300 people who are killed in vehicle crashes every year on pavement that is icy or slushy, and over 116,800 people are injured in the same situations.
Additionally, there are 900 fatalities and approximately 76,000 injuries in automobile crashes that happened when it is snowing or sleeting outside.
Every year, 24 percent of crashes that are related to the weather happen on slippery pavement due to winter weather, and 15 percent take place when it is snowing or sleeting.
This is fairly staggering, considering that the average speeds of drivers on main roads goes down by a full 30 to 40 percent when the pavement is icy or snowy, and there are generally less cars on the street because people are less likely to be inclined to go out when the weather is like this.
What are some things that can be done to prevent accidents in the winter?
Despite the risks that are present, there is no reason to keep yourself cooped up in the house out of fear.
There are things that you can do in order to make sure that you are as safe as possible on the winter roads, so that you hopefully do not have to involve a personal injury attorney in your life.
One thing you should definitely do is make sure your car is winterized before any storms come your way.
It’ll always be good to be able to contact people if you end up stuck on the road. Make sure you always have a small broom and windshield scraper in your car, as well as a disaster supplies kit.
Make sure your gas tank is always full, and always let someone know where you’re going and when you plan to be there in case anything comes up.
Additionally, make sure to be very careful on the roads and vigilant while you are driving. Texting and driving is always a no-no, but this is especially true during the winter.
Hopefully, you can avoid winter accidents and having to go to a personal injury attorney as a result. However, if you end up in the situation where you have to talk to a personal injury attorney, it’s not necessarily the end of the world.
Christopher is an author and blogger who is passionate about educating and encouraging his local community while working with the Garrett Personal Injury Law Firm in Oklahoma City.
