Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Harsh winter weather and snowy conditions have done more than cause flight cancellations in Chicago and across much of the nation. Area roads have gridlocked and a host of Chicago car accidents have been reported so far this year, including six accidents across Illinois involving snow plows, WREX-13 reports. Most of the motor vehicle-snow plow crashes have been rear-end accidents.

Wet, snowy or icy roads played a role in 173 fatal Illinois car accidents in 2009 and left more than 17,000 motorists, passengers and pedestrians injured. Of those, 64 crashes were involved rear-end collisions that killed 72 and caused another 17,900 injuries, the Illinois Department of Transportation reports. Overall, there were 800 Illinois car accidents a day in 2009, two of them fatal. On average, every 10 hours during 2009 a motorist was injured due to an Illinois car accident.

The Oneida Dispatch reports that a snow plow travels about 35 m.p.h. to maximize clearing potential, and, that often on highways snow plows will travel side-by-side to cover more ground. So, if the snowy conditions don’t snarl traffic, the rate of speed and buddy-system clearing practices will.

Illinois motorists and pedestrians are encouraged to practice the following guidelines when sharing roadway with a snow plow:

~ More often than not when a passenger vehicle driver is involved in an accident with a snow plow, the car driver rear-ends the snow plow. With that in mind, give snow plows maximum following distance. In fact, the safest place for a passenger car is in the area where the snow has been cleared and the road has been salted.

~ Always yield to a snow plow and never assume the driver can see you. If you must pass a plow, be prepared for a change in road surface conditions and give the plow a wide berth. Only pass a plow if you can clearly see the road ahead and on roads where passing is permitted. Be aware that the plow may dump deicing materials.

~ Anticipate that snow plows may operate alongside the road as well as in the travel lanes. Snow plows often move along the shoulder or at entrance and exit ramps and medians. Remember that aside from traveling well below the posted speed limit, a snow plow is likely to back-up in a travel lane. Note that when passing a snow plow a driver can experience “white out” conditions either due to plow discharge or actual weather.

~ Make sure that during the winter weather season you travel with an emergency kit. Your kit should include: a bag of sand or salt, a shovel, a flashlight or flares, jumper cables, an ice scraper, a working cell phone, enough non-perishable food and water, and a change of warm, dry, clothes.