Car accidents total 12 after snow storm
In the last week, there were a total of 12 car accidents on USU’s campus caused by dangerous winter conditions.
Capt. Steve Milne of the USU Police Department said it’s typical for there to be a lot more car accidents in the winter time because of the adverse weather conditions.
“Any snowfall always generates accidents,” Milne said. “People are either in a hurry or they don’t take the time to clear the snow off their cars.”
Of the 12 car accidents on campus or campus housing, three involved snow plows hitting cars, and one incident in which a snow plow was struck by a car, according to USUPD records.
None of the accidents were considered serious, Milne said. He said snow plow accidents are not very common.
“Generally it’s not the snow plows,” Milne said. “It’s the other citizens sliding into somebody else.”
He said the reason for the snow plows accidentally hitting parked cars could be because the snow plow drivers are getting used to their new equipment.
Milne said when snow plows hit parked cars, the university will pay for the damage.
Other possible reasons for snow plows hitting parked cars could be that the plows are trying to get as much snow as they can so they get too close to cars, or the plow hits a block of ice that causes it to slide, Milne said.
Milne said part of the reason for the increase in automobile accidents during the winter is because people driving four-wheel-drive vehicles drive with the mindset that they are more equipped to handle the road conditions than people in cars with two-wheel-drive.
“They think ‘I’m in four-wheel-drive, I’m gonna be able to stop quicker,'” Milne said. “That’s when it causes problems.”
People should keep in mind that whether their vehicle has four-wheel-drive or two-wheel-drive the stopping distance is going to be the same, Milne said.
Milne said some of the accidents were the result of people trying to park their cars and sliding into cars. Others were caused by people going too fast while turning, causing them to slide into a parked car.
“That’s a lot of what we see,” Milne said. “Just slow down, take your time.”
One of the keys to avoiding a car accident is having the proper equipment for winter driving, Milne said.
People should have scrapers that are long enough to reach across their vehicle so they can scrape off all the ice. The scraper should also have a brush, Milne said.
“Some people have just a little short, hand scraper and they can’t reach all the way across,” Milne said. “They scrape just the back part of the window that’s closest to them but they don’t see the other half of what’s behind them.
Milne said if people don’t scrape the snow and ice off of their cars properly, they can be pulled over and receive a ticket for obstructed vision.
Everyone should have good tires on their car, Milne said, as well as an adequate scraper and inexpensive jumper cables in case their car won’t start.
If someone’s car won’t start, they can call USUPD for help, but it’s much faster and easier if they can just jump the car with a nearby friend, Milne said.
Highway Patrol Trooper Bart Rindlisbacher said the main reasons for the accidents in the winter are because people follow other cars too closely and drive too fast.
Rindlisbacher also said people need to make sure they have good tires so they can get traction in the snow.
– blaze.bullock@aggiemail.usu.edu