Winter is a beautiful season, but cold temperatures, snow, and ice can lead to serious car accidents and long-lasting injuries for you and your passengers.
Common accidents
Icy roads and poor traction can contribute to an accident. You can easily skid, slide and lose control on frozen surfaces. Black ice is a significant threat, because it is almost invisible to drivers. Both new and experienced drivers can have difficulty driving in these conditions.
Falling snow can also cause reduced visibility, making it hard to see other vehicles or road signs. In some cases, these weather conditions may cause roads to close. Cold temperatures can also make it hard to brake and cause a rear-end collision, can put strain on the car’s battery and could cause a car to breakdown, also causing an accident.
Unfortunately, these conditions can also cause longer travel times and lead to aggressive driving. Aggressive driving may include following too closely and weaving in and out of traffic, both of which can cause an accident.
Injuries
If you are in a rear-end accident, you and your passengers can have whiplash, injuries to your muscles, broken bones and fractures. In serious cases, you can also suffer from a head injury or concussion. A traumatic brain injury can affect your overall health and well-being for a long time after the accident.
If your extremities are exposed to the cold, you can have frostbite, numbness and other injuries. You and your passengers can also suffer from internal injuries which are not always apparent, which is why it is important to receive medical attention.
You may be entitled to compensation from the driver who caused the accident.