If you think Ohio roadways are a lot more dangerous in the wintertime, you are absolutely right. A new study from the Auto Insurance Center (AIC) found that Ohio leads the nation in fatal wintertime traffic accidents that occur in icy or snowy conditions.
The study found that there were 143 of these deadly crashes in Ohio in 2015, according to the most recent fatal crash data available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
The study also revealed that Ohio leads the nation in fatal winter car accidents involving out-of-state drivers, as 38 out-of-state drivers lost their lives in these accidents in 2015. These accidents accounted for more than 25 percent of all fatal accidents in winter weather.
The study found that the worst winter driving situation in the nation is to be on an Ohio roadway at 2 p.m. on a Saturday when there is snow on the ground or in the air.
The rate of fatal winter crashes in Ohio was highest for drivers between 16 and 24 years old.
National Statistics On Winter Driving Crashes
Nationally, snow was the number one cause of fatal accidents (523) in winter weather in 2015. Ice and frost were cited as contributors to 370 accidents while wet roads caused 82 fatal accidents.
The AIC study found that most fatal crashes in winter weather conditions happen between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The most common day for a fatal winter car crash was Saturday, with a total of 286 fatal accidents occurring on Saturdays in 2015. There were 197 crashes on Fridays and just 73 on Thursdays.
If you were injured or lost a loved one in a wintertime traffic accident that was caused by another driver’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
The auto crash injury attorneys at O’Connor, Acciani & Levy will fight to establish liability and recover fair compensation for your claim. We have decades of combined experience fighting for fair compensation for our clients.