With the holidays coming up, we are now in the early days of the winter season. While students of all ages look forward to the opportunity of snow days and many adults enjoy the season, winter is, unfortunately, a dangerous time to drive. As any experienced driver knows, cold weather turns any precipitation into a road hazard that can lead to car accidents and serious personal injuries.
Already, drivers around St. Joseph are struggling with these conditions.
Icy Roads Cause Car Accident Near St. Joseph
The danger caused by icy road conditions has been on full display in St. Joseph and the surrounding region of northwest Missouri. Since our first spell of winter weather over a week ago, stories of people getting hurt in car accidents have been piling up.
Just one example of a car accident that resulted from poor weather conditions came last week when, early in the morning on December 6, 2016, a 24-year-old driver hit a patch of ice on the curve of a road in DeKalb County. Her car went out of control, left the road, hit an embankment, and overturned. She was rushed to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph with serious injuries.
Winter Weather Brings More Car Accidents
It seems like common sense knowledge to say that the road hazards of winter weather results in more car crashes. However, it can still be helpful to see the statistics that back this up. They let you fully comprehend the dangers of driving in the winter.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are an average of 5,748,000 car crashes every year. About 22% of those nearly 6 million accidents – approximately 1,259,000 – are weather-related. These weather-related accidents result in nearly 6,000 people being killed and more than 445,000 people getting hurt on the roads of the United States.
Out of those weather-related crashes, 24% of them happen on snowy, slushy, or icy pavement, killing over 1,300 people are hurting more than 116,000 more. 15% of weather-related crashes happen while snow or sleet is falling. These account for nearly 900 deaths and another 76,000 injuries.
While these numbers are high, more than 30% of the people in the United States do not live in an area that gets more than five inches of snow per year. As a result, the two-thirds of Americans who do live with a winter season see the dangers of snowy and icy roads even more than the statistics suggest.
Car Accident Attorneys at the Smith Law Office
Dangerous road conditions can be difficult to overcome. However, even if you are driving safely, you could still find yourself in a serious accident if someone else takes risks that they should avoid. If this is the case, you should see a car accident and personal injury attorney to get compensation for your injuries from the driver who was at fault.
The attorneys at the Smith Law Office represent victims of car accidents both in and out of court to get you the compensation you need to make a full recovery. Contact the Smith Law Office online or at (816) 875-9373.