America’s Most Dangerous Roads During Adverse Weather Conditions

Highway traffic safety organizations and researchers review data in wide-reaching ways to rank the most dangerous roads for truck drivers to haul freight. These methods typically include the most accidents, rollovers, fatal crashes, and others. But one of the sometimes overlooked ways to consider America’s most dangerous roads for truckers involves weather conditions. Perhaps nothing cries danger louder than adverse weather. Although CDL professionals consistently exercise caution, knowing the following highways present heightened risk could prove invaluable.

Worst Roads to Travel When Conditions are Unclear

According to data gathered by the National Traffic and Highway Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, unclear conditions such as rain, fog, snow, and other adverse weather conditions pose a safety risk. On Virginia’s Interstate 81, upwards of 92 percent of fatal accidents happened when conditions were considered unclear. These are the Top 10 worst roads to traverse during weather events.

• Virginia, I-81: 92 percent of accidents occurred during unclear weather conditions.
• Virginia, I-95: 89 percent of accidents occurred during unclear weather conditions.
• Virginia, US-460: 89 percent of accidents occurred during unclear weather conditions.
• Virginia, US-29: 83 percent of accidents occurred during unclear weather conditions.
• Virginia, US-58: 81 percent of accidents occurred during unclear weather conditions.
• Virginia, I-64: 79 percent of accidents occurred during unclear weather conditions.
• Colorado, I-25: 73 percent of accidents occurred during unclear weather conditions.
• Colorado, I-70: 71 percent of accidents occurred during unclear weather conditions.
• Michigan, I-94: 49 percent of accidents occurred during unclear weather conditions.
• Iowa, I-80: 45 percent of accidents occurred during unclear weather conditions.

Worst Roads to Travel When It’s Dark Outside

Driver visibility is typically reduced to 250 feet with low beams and 500 feet when using high beams. While darkness makes driving most roads at least slightly more dangerous, there are specific stretches that the condition disproportionally impacts motor vehicle operators. The following rank among the highways with the highest number of fatal, after-dark collisions.

• California, SR-91: 71 percent of fatal crashes occurred after dark.
• Georgia, I-285: 69 percent of fatal crashes occurred after dark.
• Texas, I-35: 68 percent of fatal crashes occurred after dark.
• California, I-10: 65 percent of fatal crashes occurred after dark.
• Louisiana, US-90: 64 percent of fatal crashes occurred after dark.
• Florida, US-17: 63 percent of fatal crashes occurred after dark.
• Florida, US-92: 63 percent of fatal crashes occurred after dark.
• California, SR-99: 63 percent of fatal crashes occurred after dark.
• Texas, I-45: 63 percent of fatal crashes occurred after dark.
• California, I-5: 62 percent of fatal crashes occurred after dark.
• California, I-15: 62 percent of fatal crashes occurred after dark.
• California, I-80: 62 percent of fatal crashes occurred after dark.

Identifying dangerous roads by the number of fatal crashes during less-than-desirable driving conditions provides insight truck drivers may find valuable. Although CDL holders were not necessarily involved in an unusually high rate of accidents on these roads, knowing that passenger vehicle operators are more likely to cause pileups or lose control allows commercial motor vehicle operators to take precautions.

Source: valuepenguin.com