Louisiana rarely experiences heavy snowfall. However, authorities on driving under adverse conditions assert that this may creates a paradoxical situation, as the light snows that dust the state may be more dangerous than blizzards could be.
A report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lends credence to these assertions. The agency’s statistics showed that about 25 percent of all traffic accidents between 2004 and 2013 were the result of prevailing weather conditions. Upwards of 40 percent of those crashes were attributable in some many to snow, ice, sleet or slush.
Drivers tend to not take warnings of snow danger as seriously when the snow is light or only beginning . There is also a propensity to treat the roads as if they were clear until the snow has come to the attention of the driver, and this does not necessarily occur immediately. Modern cars are especially prone to this difficulty, as amenities such as heated cabins with soundproofing tend to divorce drivers from outdoor conditions and make it difficult for them to perceive changing road surfaces.
Regardless of the weather conditions, motorists have the responsibility to maintain control of their vehicles and operate them appropriately at all times. A failure in their duty that leads to car accident injuries could leave the negligent driver liable for the damages. An attorney can often be of assistance to an accident victim who has been injured in such a manner by seeking compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and other damages through the filing of a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault motorist.
Source: Weather.com, “Is Light Snow More Dangerous For Drivers Than Major Snowstorms?”, Eric Chaney, Jan. 7, 2016
