Summer is all but behind us and winter is only a few months away, and that makes it a prime time to take a look at how the seasons and the weather affect car accident rates in Calgary and around Alberta.

As you might expect, there tend to be more car accidents per mile driven/driver on the road during the winter than there are in the summer. Reasons for this include slippery roads that make handling a vehicle more difficult, reduced visibility caused by falling snow that reduces the reaction time people have to road hazards, and conditions that are overall less conducive to safely travelling at higher speeds.

Interestingly, many (though certainly not all) of the car accidents that take place in the Calgary area during the winter season are more minor than accidents that occur in the summer. The same conditions that cause more accidents to happen—hazardous road conditions, reduced visibility, etc.—also cause most drivers to slow down and drive more cautiously. This means that many collisions take place at lower speeds and thus cause less damage and fewer serious injuries.

The potential for a serious accident is still very real during the winter months, but summer can be just as dangerous with more crowded roads and people travelling at higher speeds—often while paying less attention due to the perceived lack of dangers associated with mild weather and an open road.

No matter what time of year, it’s everyone’s responsibility to keep Calgary’s roads safe. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Calgary-area car accident, contact the dedicated personal injury lawyers at Cuming & Gillespie LLP today.