by L.S. Watts

Created on: January 15, 2011

According to auto insurance companies, winter is the season where more auto accidents occur than any other season. In fact, more claims are filed with insurance companies during the winter months. So what are the major contributing factors that cause roads to be dangerous during the winter months?

Many people want to jump straight to solely blaming drivers and their possible inexperience. Perhaps this may be true in some cases but even the most experience winter weather driver has difficulties driving during dangers winter road conditions and can even be victim to accidents. Instead of looking at the driver being solely at fault, first consider what the true cause of the difficulties accident is in the first place which is dangerous winter road conditions.

As winter begins to appear, it is brought on with freezing rain. Freezing rain occurs when it rains and the surface temperature is below freezing. As the rain falls, it is cooled down rapidly and freezes as it hits the surface. This creates a layer of ice, known as glaze ice, on the roads drivers travel. As the freezing rain continues, it builds an even thicker layer of ice on the roads. Freezing rain doesn’t just form on the roads but on your vehicle and everything else it touches. Driving in freezing rain is extremely dangerous. If at all possible, avoid doing so at all costs.

Black ice is another major safety concern which makes winter road conditions dangerous. Black ice is formed when rain has already fallen and then the temperatures drop to below freezing. Black ice isn’t actually black, it is clear. The term comes from the coloring of the black asphalt making it only appear to be black in color. Many drivers won’t see it until it is too late. Black ice forms in patches. Black ice can cause vehicle to skid out of control without warning. Because black ice forms in patches chance are if you can make it through the patch, you may be able to regain control of your vehicle once you are clear of the black ice patch. However, black ice is not a road condition to take lightly.

Snow has been known to shut down airports, roads, and entire towns due to the dangerous road conditions it causes. Snow can be deceiving for many motorists. To most people it looks fluffy and fun, but for drivers it can be a nightmare. It causes the roads to become slippery and difficult to find enough traction to drive through. Sometimes it can cause a vehicle to skid, fish-tail, or spin wheels in place unable to get

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