Maryland Injury Attorney Blog
First snow of the season brings not only joy for the kids and a pretty winter picture outside – but Maryland drivers who must navigate through snow, ice, and sleet on the roadways. This isn’t just true for us but for other Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region states where snow is an annual occurrence, yet some drivers still seem unprepared. Worse are those who don’t alter their driving behaviors to accommodate for the slippery conditions and low visibility that snowstorms bring.
Most every Maryland snowstorm of significance brings with it not only fender benders, but the potential for serious car accidents with injuries or worse due to motorists encountering hazardous driving conditions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that in 2022, there were 498 fatal traffic crashes and an estimated 32,213 injury crashes in the U.S. that occurred when snow/sleet conditions were present at the time of the crash.
Top causes of winter motor vehicle accidents in Maryland and other snowy states include …
- Speeding. Posted speed limits are meant for dry roadways – not for driving in snowy weather or on roads slick with ice and snow. Yet, we still get passed on the highway by drivers at high rates of speed, despite bad weather.
- Black ice. When ice freezes on the dark road surface, it can be very difficult to see. If a motor vehicle traveling at speed hits a patch of black ice — that’s all it takes to put that vehicle into a swerve or spin, with potentially disastrous results.
- Poor visibility. There’s a reason the Maryland State Highway Administration lowers speed limits and issues advisories against traveling on the roadways during snowstorms, if at all avoidable. Snow and sleet, especially at night, reduce visibility, making already dangerous driving conditions even worse.
- Flying ice and snow from uncleared vehicles. This winter driving hazard has made the headlines as not only is it preventable, but the results can be serious and deadly. When drivers fail to clear accumulated ice and snow from the roofs of their cars, trucks, and SUVs – ice sheets can suddenly dislodge on the highway, flying into the windshields of innocent drivers and causing them to lose control. Snow and ice can also fall off uncleared vehicles into the roadways, creating hazardous slippery spots.
- Unprepared drivers and vehicles. Many drivers are unsure what to do when encountering winter driving conditions, and continue to drive as though it were a nice spring day. In addition, vehicles that are not well maintained, e.g., those with worn brakes and tires, can be more difficult to drive during hazardous Maryland winter conditions.
- Bridges freeze before roadways. We are all familiar with Baltimore, Maryland’s iconic system of bridges. In the city and elsewhere, bridges freeze before roadways as they are more exposed to the elements, with no soil around them to provide warmth. Traversing a bridge in a snowstorm can challenge even the best Maryland winter drivers, and is something we’d all like to avoid when at all possible.
As experienced Maryland motor vehicle accident attorneys, we’ve driven these highways and roads our whole lives. We understand what Maryland winters can be like. And we know that winter car accidents can be tragic, causing injuries, property damage, and death. Drivers can be held at fault if determined they were speeding or engaging in other dangerous driving behaviors during a snowstorm that led to a motor vehicle accident.
NHTSA, the Maryland Department of Transportation, State Highway Administration, and Zero Deaths Maryland offer some tips for winter driving:
Equip your vehicle for winter: Keep your car, truck, or SUV and its tires (if you have snow tires, even better) well maintained and stocked with emergency items such as flare lights, blankets, and a first aid kid. Make sure lights, heating/cooling systems and wipers are working, and windshield wiper fluid is filled. Gas up and plan your route before a trip. Make sure your cell phone is charged.
Prepare to alter your driving behaviors. If it snows, slow down! All our Maryland drivers are navigating the winter roadway hazards together. If you have to break suddenly for snow, ice, or poor driving conditions, avoid slamming on the brakes and try to keep your steering wheel straight. It only takes a second for a driver to overcompensate during a winter skid and go off the road, or into other traffic.
Check the Maryland STORM Active Map to see where state weather removal and treatment vehicles are active in your area, in near real time.
Winter in Maryland isn’t done with us yet. Be safe out there!
Sources:
Winter Weather Driving Tips
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) collected online Feb. 6, 2025
Drive To Survive In Winter Weather
Maryland Department of Transportation, State Highway Administration collected online Feb. 6, 2025
Keeping Yourself and Others Safe on the Road This Winter
Zero Deaths Maryland Jan. 2, 2023