A deadly car accident in Maine occurred recently, causing one man to lose his life and injuring his wife and children. According to Press Herald, the accident happened on a snow-covered road when he lost control of the family's vehicle at around 10:15 in the morning.
This incident is not an isolated one. Each year, people are hurt or killed in accidents in Maine as a result of bad weather. When crashes happen due to snow, it could be possible that a driver is held accountable for losses if it can be proved the motorist was negligent in operating the vehicle under the current conditions of the road.
Risks of Snowy Accidents in Maine
Maine gets a substantial amount of snow during the winter months. Maine Tourism Association estimates that between 50 and 70 inches of snow fall in the Coastal Division annually. In the Southern Interior, around 60 to 90 inches of snow fall each year and around 90 to 110 inches of snow fall annually in the Northern Interior. When there is a lot of snow on the ground, even seasoned Maine drivers who know the risks of winter driving could lose control and get into crashes like the recent tragic accident reported by Press Herald.
The snow in Maine is not just concentrated on a few bad weather days either. There are many times over the course of the winter when motorists end up having to contend with snowy conditions. According to Maine Tourism Association, for example, the Northern Interior typically has around 30 days each year where a minimum of an inch of snow falls. In the Coastal Division, around 15 to 20 days a year will see more than an inch of snowfall and there is usually at least one Nor'easter during that time that results in about 10 inches of snow falling in just one day.
January tends to be the worst month when it comes to snow in the state of Maine. An average of around 20 inches of snow falls statewide during the month of January.
Because it snows often and because it snows a lot within the state, many Maine drivers will start to feel as if they are comfortable driving in bad weather. This can actually be a bad thing if these motorists forget how dangerous it actually is to drive in snowy and icy conditions.
Both road surfaces and visibility can be impacted by snow and motorists must make certain that they adjust their driving to be extra careful at all times when the weather is bad. If a motorist is overconfident in his abilities and takes dangerous risks, the driver could be held liable for any losses that he causes others to incur in crashes.
