Winter Weather Causes over a Thousand Atlanta Car Accidents

This is the season for giving, sharing and joyous celebrations. It is also the season for serious auto accidents for many people in Atlanta and elsewhere around Georgia. Winter weather hit Georgia with snow flurries on Wednesday in all the major metro counties including Gwinnett, Cobb, Fulton and DeKalb. Atlanta drivers were involved in over 1,000 motor vehicle accidents with wet and icy roads causing havoc.

Weather can have a significant impact on car accident rates caused by wet road, icy conditions, dense fog and black ice. It is imperative that driver's slow down and proceed with caution when the weather turns bad, but many drivers proceed as if the adverse weather conditions have no impact on safe driving practices. One law enforcement officer cautioned that the roads from north Fulton County to Cherokee and Forsyth counties are extremely bad, and that drivers should proceed with extreme caution. Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, has been representing Georgia residents seriously injured or killed in car crashes for over a quarter of a century.

The number of weather related car accidents in the greater Atlanta area is simply staggering, with many motorist abandoning their cars altogether. We have provided some example that provides evidence of how bad road conditions have gotten to this point:

• Cherokee County experienced 90 accidents in less than a two hour period of time

• Cobb County had over 200 crashes in less than two hours, forcing police to ignore non-injury accidents

• Major road closures and abandoned vehicles were widespread in all major Atlanta counties

Bad weather invariably makes driving more dangerous and the risk of being involved in a serious car crash increases dramatically. The risk of more serious accidents also increases because of decreased visibility and the increased probability of losing control of one's motor vehicle. Some key factors that impact accident rates during severe weather include the following:

Lack of Traction: Bad weather conditions make routine driving maneuvers difficult including staying on the road, stopping and avoiding collisions. Drivers who fly by at high rates of speed and fail to respect the impact of water, ice and snow are key contributors to serious car accidents. Simply slowing down can prevent serious auto accidents and save lives.

Reduced Visibility: Fog, rain and snow all limit visibility during severe winter weather. Driver visibility can be limited by the falling of rain, sleet or snow or from dirty water that has collected on the roadway splashing up onto the windshield of a car. Fog not only obscures visibility but when dense can also make it extremely difficult to see when using one's headlights at night. Snow and fog can also make it difficult for drivers to see defects in the roadway.

Irresponsible Drivers: Many drivers treat bad weather more like a challenge then a dangerous condition which necessitates extreme caution. Such negligent drivers make no effort to drive more slowly or cautiously despite extremely bad weather and road conditions. These drivers zoom along at freeway speeds and weave in and out of traffic. Reckless drivers who do not respect the elements are inevitably a serious car wreck waiting to happen.

While the weather will continue to create hazardous Atlanta road conditions, we can all help avoid death and catastrophic injuries including traumatic brain injuries, spinal chord injuries, whiplash injuries, head and neck injuries, fracture, internal organ damage and other life-altering injuries. If drivers simply exercise caution, many Atlanta car accidents and traffic related fatalities can be avoided.

At Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, we are committed to providing our clients with exceptional service. We believe you expect and deserve the best legal representation a law firm has to offer. Our Atlanta car accident lawyers are available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Dalton, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. Call us today for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or visit us on the web at www.montlick.com. No matter where you are in Georgia, we are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you.