Louisianans who are on the road and driving in the rain will know the dangers of being in an accident are increased because of the inclement weather. However, they might believe that the intensity of the rain is a major factor in the risk.
While harder rain will obviously place people in danger, a new study shows that even light rain raises the jeopardy drivers and others on the road face and it does so significantly. With this information, it is advisable for people to exercise greater caution in any kind of rain. It is also important to factor this in after an auto accident, as it can be critical for taking legal action.
The Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society says that light rain raises the possibility of a fatal crash by 27%. “Light rain” includes drizzling, an amount of rain in which people will often not even bother using an umbrella. A wet road, whether it is from ice, snow or rain, increases the chance of a fatal crash by 34%. In the study, 125,012 fatal accidents were assessed.
These occurred in the continental U.S. and covered the years 2006 to 2011. The number of vehicles on the road and radar calculating the weather were used to come to its conclusions. It found that people will not consider light rain sufficient to drive with greater caution. When it is raining moderately, the risk of a fatal crash rose by 75%. Heavy rain increased it by 250%.
Drivers are naturally encouraged to show greater caution when the weather is poor. The lead author of the study says that drivers do not grasp the potential problems of driving in light rain as they do in heavier rain.
When there is an auto accident, any victim might face injuries, medical expenses, lost income from being unable to work and drastic changes to their everyday lives. When there is a fatality, the family will have a litany of concerns that include financial, personal and emotional. The reason for the car crash can be a key factor in a successful legal filing. Having advice from a law firm with experience in car accidents of all kinds should be called for representation to take the necessary steps to file a lawsuit.
