Question: Is it just me or do more accidents take place in the wintertime?
Answer: As a general rule, winter weather road conditions -- such as snow, sleet and slush -- tend to bring about more auto accidents.
Black ice and other hazardous winter driving situations can cause drivers to lose control of their car and have an accident more easily.
Winter weather accident statistics
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) keeps track of fatal car crashes across the country. This federal agency breaks down the data by various criteria, including weather conditions.
The latest information is from 2011, and it found that:
- 26,458 fatal accidents in normal weather conditions
- 2,042 fatal accidents in rainy conditions
- 595 fatal car crashes that had weather conditions including snow, sleet, hail or blowing snow
- 406 fatal crashes in “other” conditions -- including fog, smoke, blowing sand and severe crosswinds
- 256 fatal accidents in unknown weather condition
This shows about 2 percent of fatalities nationwide being due to winter weather.
Remember these are just reported accidents; the NHTSA says it’s estimated that about half the motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. go unreported.
Insurance implications of a weather-related accident
If winter road conditions cause you have an at-fault auto accident, then your state-mandated liability coverage will cover those that you harmed. Your property damage liability will cover someone else’s car or other property (such as a guardrail or fence) that you damaged.
In no-fault states, each party’s own personal injury protection (PIP) coverage would be used for injuries. If you were at-fault for injuring someone else and that party’s PIP limits are exceeded, then your bodily injury liability coverages could be claimed against.
For your own vehicle, you’d need collision coverage to file a claim with your insurer.
After paying your deductible, your car insurance company should pay the remainder of the repair costs. Or, your insurer may find that the car is a total loss and pay you actual cash value for the vehicle, minus your deductible amount.
Typically, if you’re the one who lost control – even if it were due to a weather-related condition like black ice – you’ll be found at-fault by insurance companies for the accident. This means your rates could rise due to a surcharge at your next renewal.
If your car insurance rates do rise due to an accident and its resulting claims, then it’s time to comparison shop. You may be able to save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a year by shopping around and finding the car insurance company that offers the best rates for your particular situation.