Winter storm creates havoc on the roads

When you think of the phrase “oh, the weather outside is frightful” you may think about how cute the snow is during the holiday season. In the first week of February, however, the snow is just an eyesore and may be behind seasonal depressive disorder. Nevertheless, another snowstorm is bearing down on Central New York.

The band of snow is apparently massive, and stretches from Chicago to Boston. Yesterday, thousands of flights were cancelled due to the weather, and locally, schools were closed or start times were delayed. Indeed, people in this region are used to dealing with snow, but sometimes they do not pay attention to the conditions and how dangerous they may be.

Indeed, the snow on the ground is a concern, but as cars and plows go by, the concern for black ice also grows. It is not uncommon for small patches of ice to form after some snow melt freezes. This can cause unsuspecting drivers to lose control of their cars and crash.

In a number of our posts we have highlighted drivers’ duties to use reasonable care while behind the wheel, and it bears repeating here. Part of using such care involves slowing down as driving conditions deteriorate. So if a driver does not reduce speed on a highway, for example, and speeding for the conditions is the cause of an accident, the offending driver could be held liable for the crash. This means that the injured parties could seek compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses and other costs.

With that, we hope all of our readers take it easy or stay off the roads.