Winter has definitely settled in to most parts of the United States, and people are feeling its effects from severe flooding in Northern California and Nevada to snow and ice across the Midwest as well as up and down the East Coast.
As insurance professionals are aware, winter also brings its own sets of hazards on the road, but these dangers vary by the part of the country you're driving in.
Of the approximately 5.7 million car crashed in the U.S. each year, 22 percent are caused by adverse weather conditions or sliding on slick pavement, according to Farmers' Insurance's “Seasonal Smarts Digest.”
Although Thanksgiving is recognized as the busiest travel time of the year with an average 214-mile long-distance car trip, more people travel farther by car for Christmas and New Year's, an average of 275 miles.
From December to February, Farmers claims data for the last three years noted three major trouble spots for drivers nationally:
- Skidding on ice or snow: 76 percent
- Other vehicle has the right of way: 26 percent
- Theft: 25 percent
Winter road tips
Here are some winter road tips from Farmers to help you and your clients stay safe on the road:
- Prepare your car for winter. Check your tires, front and rear window defrosters, and windshield wipers to make sure they're in good condition and work correctly, and fill your wiper fluid reservoir with a no-freeze product. Keep extra wiper fluid in your car, along with an ice scraper, blanket, jumper cables and an emergency kit.
- Don't drive until you've cleared all the snow and ice off your vehicle, including your windshield, windows and roof. Snow and ice sliding off the roof can cause a hazard for other drivers on the road — and it's illegal in many states.
- Remember to stay cautious. Even though you may be driving carefully in icy conditions, there's no guarantee that other drivers are driving just as carefully. Stay aware, and avoid distractions, especially your phone or other passengers.
- Watch out for unique winter hazards. During cold weather, bridges and overpasses are often the first areas to become icy, so use extra caution or plan a route that avoids them. Passing snow plows and sand trucks can also be dangerous. The drivers' visibility can be reduced and they won't be expecting anyone to pass them, so they may not see you or be aware of your vehicle.
What follows are the three most common fall road hazards, based on Farmers comprehensive claims data, across eight regions in the contiguous U.S.:
Shelley Gallivan, right, talks on the phone next to a tipped over Smart car which belongs to her friend on the corner of Prospect and Coso avenues in San Francisco, April 7, 2014. Four Smart cars were flipped over during an apparent vandalism spree. (Photo: AP/Jeff Chiu)
Southwest
California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah
- Vandalism and mischief: 31 percent (of comprehensive claims)
- Rear-end accidents: 16 percent (of collision claims)
- Hit while legally parked: 11 percent (of collision claims)
Related: Was Arizona agent negligent for not obtaining UM/UIM coverage?
Members of Caldwell Fire and Rescue work to remove a vehicle from the side of a Caldwell, Idaho, home after the vehicle crashed through a fence and into the home. (Photo: Idaho Press-Tribune, Greg Kreller)
|Pacific Northwest
Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana
- Collision with animals: 27 percent (of comprehensive claims)
- Rear-end accidents: 14 percent (of collision claims)
- Hitting an object or pedestrian: 11 percent (of collision claims)
Icy branches partially block a city street and fall amid parked cars in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: AP/Dirk Lammers)
|Midwest
Colorado, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming
- Collision with animals: 35 percent (of comprehensive claims)
- Rear-end accidents: 15 percent (of collision claims)
- Collision while backing up: 12 percent (of collision claims)
In this image taken from video, a wrecked school van sits on the road as investigators survey the scene in Trinity, Texas, Dec. 1, 2016. A young girl died after the school van, that had stopped to pick up children, was rear-ended by a truck on the rural East Texas highway with multiple students, and the van driver also injured. (KTRE via AP)
|South Central
Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, New Mexico, Arkansas and Louisiana
- Collision with animals: 28 percent (of comprehensive claims)
- Rear-end accidents: 16 percent (of collision claims)
- Hitting an object or pedestrian: 11 percent (of collision claims)
Related: A crash course I how auto technology is changing claims
Cars navigate a slippery Highway 54 as abandoned vehicles line the roadway in Chapel Hill, N.C. (Photo: AP/Gerry Broome)
Southeast
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee
- Collision with animals: 29 percent (of comprehensive claims)
- Rear-end accidents: 16 percent (of collision claims)
- Collision while backing up: 9 percent (of collision claims)
Related: 9 fraudsters join the Hall of Shame
A woman braves blowing and heavy wet snow near Peavey Plaza in Minneapolis, Minn. (Photo: AP/Jim Mone)
Greater Great Lakes
Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin
- Collision with animals: 46 percent (of comprehensive claims)
- Rear-end accidents: 15 percent (of collision claims)
- Hitting an object or pedestrian: 13 percent (of collision claims)
Related: 7 steps to paying the right amount for bodily injury claims
A large group of turkey vultures feed on a dead deer that was hit by a car alongside a road near Newtown, Pa. (Photo: AP/Mel Evans)
|Mid-Atlantic
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia and West Virginia
- Collision with animals: 43 percent (of comprehensive claims)
- Rear-end accidents: 13 percent (of collision claims)
- Hit while legally parked: 12 percent (of collision claims)
Related: Swoop & squat: Beware of these insurance fraudsters
Malede Dorbo, of Lawrence, Mass., walks down the center of the street, in Lawrence, Mass., following a winter storm. (Photo: AP/Lisa Poole)
|New England
Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island
- Collision with animals: 26 percent (of comprehensive claims)
- Hitting an object or pedestrian: 12 percent (of collision claims)
- Rear-end accidents: 12 percent (of collision claims)
Related: 5 most walkable cities that are the most dangerous for pedestrians
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Rosalie Donlon
Rosalie Donlon is the editor in chief of ALM's insurance and tax publications, including NU Property & Casualty magazine and NU PropertyCasualty360.com. You can contact her at [email protected].
