Bad weather could result in a motor vehicle collision that leaves you seriously injured, and it is vital to have a solid understanding of the risks you face. Aside from ice, snow and heavy rain, many other weather-related factors can lead to a collision. For example, fog and strong wind cause a lot of car accidents as well.
Looking at data on these crashes should serve as a reminder of how important it is to stay vigilant when driving during bad weather. In some cases, it is a good idea to stay off the road until weather conditions improve.
Data on weather and traffic accidents
The Federal Highway Administration shared statistics on weather-related traffic accidents. According to this data, roughly 21% of all traffic collisions occur during adverse weather conditions. Out of all weather-related risk factors, wet pavement and rain play a role in the most accidents. In fact, 70% of crashes that took place in adverse weather between 2007 and 2016 occurred on wet pavement, and it rained during 46% of these accidents. During this period, snow and sleet played a role in 18% of accidents, 13% involved ice and 3% occurred during foggy conditions.
Weather-related traffic crash injuries and deaths
Based on data between 2007 and 2016, weather-related crashes caused almost 5,000 people to die and more than 418,000 to suffer injuries during an average year. Over the course of this timeframe, more than 324,000 people suffered injuries and over 4,000 lost their lives in accidents that happened on wet pavement, and over 212,000 people became hurt due to accidents that happened amid rainfall.