By now, one would think that the cyclical patterns of weather in Western Washington would have drivers prepared for the challenging driving conditions that present themselves in the fall. According to the Washington State Patrol (WSP), however, the increasingly slippery conditions led to a large spike in traffic collisions in Pierce and Thurston Counties this past weekend.
According to the Twitter account of WSP District 1 Public Information Officer Trooper Guy Gill, there were 135 traffic collisions investigated by WSP troopers during the first weekend of heavy rain – October 12 through 14 – of the fall season. Gill added that during the previous weekend, which was pleasantly dry, troopers investigated just 70 total collisions.
“This is not a surprise at all. It’s actually quite common for the frequency of collisions to jump like that when the weather begins to change,” says Chris Davis, who represents accident injury victims as a personal injury attorney at the Davis Law Group in Seattle. “My office starts to get a lot more calls about accidents as the driving conditions get worse.”
Weather throughout Washington State, particularly in the western region, has been more dry than usual in 2012. Most recently, the Seattle-area went a record 81 days without more than .03 inches of precipitation. The previous record was 75 dry days, set back in 1922.
Davis says the combination between more difficult driving conditions and vehicles that have endured a lot of wear and tear over the summer leads to an overall increased risk of being involved in an auto accident.
“It’s a transition period,” added the veteran trial lawyer. “This is a very important time for drivers to get their tires and brakes checked, replace windshield wipers and make sure their headlights are functioning properly. There are a lot of little things that can be done to reduce your risk of being involved in an auto accident.”
As a public service to Washington State accident victims, Davis has also authored several legal guides that make up the Washington Accident Books series. In conjunction with the increase of traffic collisions that we typically see in Seattle during the fall, Davis is offering his book “The Ten Biggest Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Washington Accident Case” for free to those who have been injured or are curious to know more about their rights and the personal injury claims process.
Anyone interested in ordering their free copy should visit http://www.WashingtonAccidentBooks.com or call the Davis Law Group at 206-727-4000.
About Chris Davis
Christopher M. Davis, founder of the Davis Law Group, has been a licensed attorney in the state of Washington since 1993. He has tried dozens of personal injury cases to verdict and has successfully handled and resolved hundreds of accident claims. He has been a Washington Super Lawyer' for seven years in a row for his expertise and success in litigating personal injury claims. You can learn more about the firm by visiting: http://www.DavisLawGroupSeattle.com.