Weather conditions can sometimes pose some very serious hazards out on the roads for drivers. In some instances, adverse weather conditions contribute to auto crashes. Sadly, sometimes, weather-related traffic crashes end up taking lives. It is estimated that weather-related auto accidents are responsible for around 7,000 deaths a year here in the United States.
When it comes to hazardous weather conditions, a lot of attention is often focused on snow. However, a recent report indicates that, in most of the country, rain actually takes more lives out on the roads than snow does.
Using federal data on fatal traffic accidents in the U.S. that occurred between 2009 and 2013, the report compared the number of rain-related traffic fatalities and snow-related traffic fatalities in each state. The report found that, in nearly four-fifths of the states (39 states) rain-related traffic fatalities outnumbered snow-related traffic fatalities. Oklahoma was among these 39 states.
Why is rain responsible for more traffic deaths than snow in many states?
One potential reason could be that, in many areas, rain is a weather condition that drivers encounter considerably more frequently than snow.
It could also possibly have to do with differences in the ways drivers generally react to rainy conditions as opposed to snowy conditions. According to a meteorology expert from Plymouth State University who is unconnected to the above-mentioned report, drivers often do not exhibit as much caution when they are driving in rainy conditions as they do when they drive in snowy conditions.
It is very important for drivers to not underestimate rain’s ability to make driving conditions difficult. Among the negative effects rainy weather conditions can have for driving is that such conditions can lower driver visibility and can cause the roads to become slick. Thus, when driving in rain, it is very important for drivers here in Oklahoma to exercise a caution level appropriate for the potential driving difficulties rain can pose.
Attorneys can help individuals here in Oklahoma who have suffered injuries in a rain-related traffic crash or who have lost a loved one due to such an accident try to uncover what specific factors played a role in the crash.
Source: USA Today, “Surprise: Rain is the deadliest weather driving hazard,” Doyle Rice, May 14, 2015
