Tallahassee Driving in Winter: Why Car Accidents Can Increase Even Without Blizzards

Statistics from a variety of sources show that serious car accidents in Florida tend to increase in the winter months. That happens in other states, too, such as Alaska, where brutal winter weather can quickly make roads impassable. But why would it happen in a place where the weather is mild?

There are a number of reasons, and when you understand the causes of winter car accidents in the Tallahassee area, it can help you stay safer during these crucial months.

Influx of Drivers Who are Making an Escape

Tallahassee does not see the number of snowbirds that flock to the southern end of the state, but our area gets more winter visitor traffic than most people realize. In addition to the temporary residents, we are seeing an increase in new residents coming from all directions, many of whom are older retirees. Drivers unfamiliar with the local routes and traffic patterns often tend to keep their eyes on their GPS more than on the road conditions around them. This lack of attentiveness leads to more accidents.

In addition, drivers who are uncertain about the route and features of the roads often drive erratically, making unexpected turns and stops. Sudden stops easily trigger rear-end collisions in traffic, and unexpected or illegal turns frequently lead to serious T-bone accidents.  

The winter visitors and new residents tend to be older, and that often means their eyesight is not as sharp and reflexes are not as fast, which makes it harder to avoid collisions in traffic. Moreover, these drivers are often taking medications that slow down reaction time.  

The Weather Conditions Make Driving More Difficult

Drivers in Tallahassee do not have to deal with arctic conditions, but the winter weather still often makes driving more difficult and dangerous than during other times of the year. When you look at the average weather conditions in our area, winter seems like a picnic. Daytime high temperatures average in the mid-to-high 60s. Low temperatures tend to be well above freezing. But the Tallahassee region typically experiences its first freezing weather by Thanksgiving, and freezing temperatures can easily continue well into March.

That creates the potential for winter weather, including snow (yes, it’s true…think back to January of this year), sleet, and ice. When temperatures hover back and forth around freezing, icy conditions are likely to form that cause problems for drivers with all levels of experience. Drivers from the north, whether visiting or residents, are often used to conditions where temperatures remain below freezing for extended periods, and precipitation falls as snow which is then cleared by professional equipment. Tallahassee lacks equipment to treat streets, but even if we had equipment, it would be difficult to prevent ice from forming because pretreatments tend to wash away in the freezing rain.

Ice can be difficult to detect on the road surface, so it catches drivers by surprise. Moreover, while many drivers understand how to maintain control while driving in snowy conditions, ice on the road often makes it impossible to control a vehicle. It is dangerous and often triggers car accidents of all types.

Even if we have a mild winter, however, our conditions can still be hazardous for driving. Fog, which can remove a driver’s visibility in an instant, is more common here than in any other part of the state. We average close to 50 days of heavy fog every year, and most of those occur during the winter months.

During years with an El Nino weather pattern, the winter months can also include quite a bit of rain, which makes roads slick and decreases visibility, particularly after dark. And of course, since we have nearly four hours less daylight in December than we do in the summer, people spend a lot more time driving in the dark during the winter.

The dangers should not come as a surprise to responsible drivers. We know that we should drive more slowly when roads are wet or when our visibility is reduced. But not all drivers operate responsibly.

The Holiday Season Creates the Conditions for a “Perfect Storm” of Accidents

A third major factor that contributes to the increased number of collisions in the winter in Tallahassee is the holiday season. That season seems to grow longer every year. Preparations begin at the start of November, and festivities often continue well into the middle of January.

During the season, people are on the roads more, shopping, visiting, and attending events. People also tend to be more distracted during the holidays, whether they are mentally reviewing a to-do list or emotionally distressed over holiday memories, interactions, or preparations.

And then there are the parties. Some people who “never” drink will have a glass of wine or eggnog, and their sense of physical and mental judgment quickly declines. Others get flat-out drunk, either because they’re feeling festive or because they’re trying to drown the memories of the reasons why they hate the season.

These factors create the conditions for a perfect storm of distracted and impaired driving. When you add in the dangerous weather, lack of daylight, and the influx of drivers unfamiliar with the roads, it’s not hard to understand why so many accidents occur not only with cars but also with trucks. Remember, people may head to the store less often than they used to, but that’s because they’re having merchandise delivered, and that means more delivery trucks are on the roads.

Getting Help After a Car Accident

Being aware of the dangers of driving in Tallahassee in winter can help you take steps to avoid potential problems. You can try to schedule more driving for daylight hours, reduce your speed, increase your following distance, and be extra vigilant for unexpected reactions from your vehicle or other drivers.

But no matter how hard you try, you can’t always prevent a car crash. When a collision is caused by someone else’s irresponsible behavior and serious injuries result, an experienced attorney may be able to help you recover compensation for your pain, suffering, and other harm. We invite you to contact Searcy Denney for a free, no-obligation case evaluation to learn about the ways we may be able to assist after an accident.