Weather can play a role in motor vehicle accidents for various reasons, whether you collide with another vehicle as a result of a slick roadway, ice or snow. However, you should realize that other weather-related risk factors can result in a collision, such as wind. Strong wind can lead to an accident in many different ways, and recognizing these hazards could help you avoid finding yourself in a collision.
Sadly, wind and other forms of adverse weather continue to cause an unsettling number of serious crashes every year.
Different ways wind can cause a traffic crash
The Federal Highway Administration discusses some of the different weather-related traffic accident hazards, including strong wind. In fact, high winds can cause issues with respect to visibility, blowing smoke, dust, debris and snow in a way that interferes with a driver’s ability to see the road.
High winds can also knock down tree limbs and blow various types of debris onto the road, resulting in obstructed lanes. In addition, wind can impact a vehicle’s stability.
The impact of wind-related traffic crashes
The FHWA states that during a typical year, almost 1,235,000 weather-related accidents occur (roughly 21% of all motor vehicle collisions). Wind plays a role in some of these accidents, and victims can face many hardships afterward.
Whether you have to step away from work because of injuries, which can lead to financial hardships, or you struggle with medical bills and high levels of physical pain, you deserve justice if another driver’s behavior caused the accident. For example, someone speeding or texting behind the wheel during strong winds should face consequences if they cause a crash.