We know that with the changing season comes the change in driving ability. Many individuals struggle with driving in colder weather, this can mean wet streets, or snow or ice covered roads, which can cause problems in every day commuting.
Here are a few things that cause the most accidents during the winter months. Shockingly, more than 1,300 people die and more than 116,000 people are injured in car crashes that occur on roads that are snowy, icy, or slushy.
Icy Roads – while we all know that icy roads can be dangerous, they can also be hard to see. You might think the roads are clear, maybe a bit wet, but melted, and then you can hit a patch of black ice. Black ice is very slippery and many individuals don’t account for it, which can lead to accidents.
Low Visibility – the winter months come with rain storms and snow blizzards, which can make it hard for drivers to see other cars, pedestrians, road signs, or even obstructions in the road, especially at night. Even during the day, in clear weather, snow build up can make it difficult to judge distances, or see people, vehicles, or objects.
Vehicle Maintenance – Many tires are not great for the winter conditions. Some choose to get winter tires, or snow tires during these months, but most don’t. In fact, at any given time of the year there are many cars on the road with worn tires, during the winter months, this can be increasingly dangerous. Worn tires can be more difficult to control when driving in icy or snowy conditions. Faulty headlights, windshield wipers, or defrosters can also decrease visibility, leading to accidents.
Distracted Driving – In our current day and age we have more and more distractions in our lives. Cell phones, radios, passengers, or simply distractions as we drive past scenery. We multitask throughout our days, but when we enter the car, we should put all our focus on the one task at hand. Driving takes more focus than we admit to ourselves, and during the winter months it’s even more important to stay focused on the road, and practice defensive and offensive driving.
