Anyone who has seen the fall foliage in Virginia remains nostalgic for it for the rest of the year. The trees in Virginia are as notorious for their beauty as for their allergens. Going for a drive on the country roads of southwestern Virginia is a delightful way to spend the time until the trees have lost their leaves and the roads have become icy. Even though the seasonal driving hazards of fall do not get nearly as much publicity as the dangers of driving on the coldest, darkest days of winter, the fall presents some unique dangers, other than the winter-associated ones, such as fewer daylight hours and, especially in mountainous areas, ice on the roads as the temperatures go below freezing. If you have been injured in a car accident in Virginia, contact a Clintwood personal injury lawyer.
Fall Leaves Quickly Turn Into a Slippery Sludge
People tend to be less afraid of driving on fall leaves than they are of driving on ice, but once the leaves have been in contact with the wet ground, they begin to disintegrate and turn into a slippery slime for which the tread on your tires is no match. Even if the road looks like it only has freshly fallen dry leaves on it, there could be slimy detritus underneath, and the risk of losing control of your car is as great as it is when you drive on an ice-covered road.
Lovestruck Deer are the Ultimate Driving Distraction
Deer hunters look forward to the fall, because it is deer mating season, so deer are on the move. They have no fear of walking across roads and highways in search of mates; deer getting hit by cars is a common occurrence in southern Virginia in the fall. The unpredictable behavior of the deer means that drivers must be especially vigilant when driving in areas populated by deer. When a deer bounds across one or more lanes of traffic and safely reaches the other side of the road, it is merely a distraction, but the real dangers are when deer stand still in the middle of the road.
Seasonal Drunk Driving Dangers in the Fall
Drunk driving is most common between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, but it only takes one drunk driver on the road to cause an accident that results in serious injury. Some seasonal events in the fall are especially conducive to drunk driving. For example, fall is football season, and the routes home from sports bars and tailgate parties may be full of drunk drivers. Likewise, beer is the main event at Oktoberfest. Halloween is also a major drinking occasion for those who are too old to trick or treat.
Contact Greg Baker Attorneys at Law PLLC About Car Accident Cases
The lawyers at Greg Baker Attorneys at Law PLLC serve the southwestern Virginia community in personal injury cases and other areas of the law. Contact Greg Baker Attorneys at Law PLLC in Clintwood, Virginia to set up a consultation.
Sources
https://wtop.com/national/2023/09/why-fall-not-winter-is-the-countrys-most-dangerous-driving-season/