Wintery roads and over-confidence can be a recipe for disaster

The Issaquah-area has seen its fair share of snowy and icy roads lately. In fact, they are to blame for numerous car accidents across the region, including one that involved 30 cars. These treacherous conditions require extreme caution to ensure safety, which is something that many people fail to exercise.

Yet, a recent survey found that a many motorists in the area believe that they are better than other drivers on the road in snowy conditions. According to that poll, more than 60% of men hold this belief while 39% of women surveyed in Washington feel the same way. Although these numbers are not concerning in themselves, they are worrisome when viewed in light of the survey’s other findings. The poll found that more than half of motorists, 62% in fact, feel pressured to drive to work even when wintery road conditions pose a threat.

Although the number of people who feel pressured to drive to work has slightly decreased over recent years, the fact remains that too many people take to the roadways when they are in dangerous conditions. Far too many of these individuals operate their vehicles in an inappropriate manner given those conditions. Oftentimes these motorists drive too fast, follow too closely, or neglect to utilize their headlights to increase their visibility to other motorists. Any of these mistakes can result in a devastating accident like one of the many that have been seen in the last month alone.

Sadly, victims of winter car accidents are often left with serious injuries that can take months, sometimes even years, to recover from, even with appropriate medical care. This lengthy recovery process can deal these individuals a significant emotional and financial blow. When that’s the case, it may be time to consider the best course of action to recover compensation for damages suffered.

In the meantime, Issaquah residents need to make sure they are driving on snowy and icy roads only when necessary, and in the safest way possible.