Over the past ten years, data has been collected that shows that one in every five motor vehicle accidents is in some way weather related. Inclement weather affects your stopping distance, your visibility, and your safety. In Syracuse the our accident injury attorneys have had many car accident cases where proper measures were not taken in bad weather which subsequently resulted in accidents and serious injuries. When visibility is low as when driving through rain, snow, fog or even in windy conditions it is important to slow down and leave more distance between other cars on the road.

What are Factors that Affect Your Visibility

Over 16% of accident fatalities over a recent 10-year study found that the cause of the accidents were significantly weather related. When you hear of weather related accidents you think of rain, snow and ice, but almost never think of visibility as a factor. The following are all ways that weather affects a driver’s ability to avoid an accident or dangerous situation:

High Wind Speeds

The wind can cause dangerous situation for all drivers. In snowy driving, the wind can create white out conditions, and can make fog and rain even worse. Wind can even tip tractor trailer trucks over while going down the interstate highway.

Rain

The rain decreases visibility because it makes it more difficult to see through your windshield. It makes it that much harder to see pedestrians an other vehicles that may not have their headlights on. Rain also inhibits your ability to even see the edge of the road at night. Rain is responsible for over 8% of all crash fatalities.

Snow

Snow and ice make for a difficult time controlling your vehicle. It is always smart to give yourself extra distance between yourself and other vehicles during snowy and icy conditions. Snow is the cause of over 13% of weather related fatalities.

Fog

Fog can be dangerous because it can suddenly reduce visibility, a deadly combination if you are driving fast. Visibility can be reduced in an instant to just a few hundred feet or less. Fog makes up over 9% of weather related fatalities.

Glare

The sun reduces visibility, and glare has an adverse impact on drivers especially morning and evening hours.

Drivers are Still Liable for Weather Related Accidents

The weather can cause issues that can cause an accident because of the reduced visibility. We are all still responsible for taking appropriate steps to avoid accidents. Keeping a safe driving distance from other vehicles on the road, reducing our speed, and making sure we are not driving with distractions are the best ways to greatly reduce our chances of a serious accident. If another driver hits you because he failed to act in a responsible manner then you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries or property damages.

The Syracuse Attorneys at McMahon, Kublick & Smith, P.C. personal injury law firm have helped thousand of clients with weather related accident claims. Contact us today to arrange a free consultation with one of our highly qualified car accident lawyers to learn more about your legal options.