Why Car Accidents Are Worse in the Rain
Dr. Barry Marks, Chiropractor and Car Accident Injury Specialist Explains Why Car Accidents Are Worse in the Rain
Car accidents are common in rainy weather, but did you also know that car crashes in the wet potentially cause more injuries?
What Causes Car Accident Injuries?
To understand why wet weather car collisions cause more injuries than dry pavement crashes, we need to first understand what causes injuries in any car accident.
When a car is struck from behind, many factors come into play to determine how much potential there is for bodily injury. The speed of the striking car, the size, the angle and much more. But all these factors are related to the most important underlying principle that dictates injury:
Change in Velocity
Velocity is the speed an object is traveling. A change in velocity, also known as Acceleration, is when an object’s speed is changed. An object’s speed my go up or down. The rate of acceleration, or suddenness that the change happens is the key. If you are sitting still and someone very slowly starts moving you forward you may barely notice and definitely wouldn’t be hurt by it. But what if you were sitting still and someone came from behind and gave a quick push causing you to jerk your neck? That’s different. A sudden change in velocity or a quick acceleration is what causes damage in car accidents.
How Does Rain Affect Change in Velocity?
Let’s use an example most people have experienced. Have you ever stepped into a bathtub and it was wet and your foot suddenly slipped and your entire body jerked and you almost fell? Or maybe you did fall? Or been walking down wet or icy stairs and suddenly hit one. And whoops there go your feet and you end up on your backside?
A slick surface provides very little resistance and allows objects to be accelerated more easily sometimes dramatically. A rough dry surface resists acceleration. So, as you sit in freeway traffic on a wet road, it is much easier to cause your car to reach a high rate of acceleration. So even a car moving relatively slowly hitting the back of your car can cause your car to be accelerated quickly and do bodily harm.
How Much Acceleration or Change in Velocity is Enough to Hurt You?
This has been argued for decades. The true answer is none. Researchers have studied this with human cadavers and even live human crash tests. They concluded there is no minimum change in acceleration that cannot cause an injury. One of the most famous tests using live subjects was Panjabi. He showed evidence that human necks were indeed damaged by 2.5 mph accelerations.
Insurance industry experts say that nobody can be hurt below a 5 mph acceleration. We know that isn’t so thanks to Panjabi and others, but even if we accept the 5 mph minimum, the average parking lot collision involving speeds of approximately 12 mph cause changes in velocity well above 5 mph. And that’s the reason that the majority of injury accidents involve relatively low speeds. The other factor is vehicle crush, more on that topic here.
Rainy Car Crashes Cause More Injuries Because They Involve Quicker Acceleration of the Head and Neck
If you have suffered a car crash and need help, call Dr. Marks at (714) 938-0575 or Make an Appointment Online Here
He can help diagnose and treat your injuries, and also help you navigate the paperwork and complicated rules of personal injury cases.
Since 1986 Dr. Barry Marks, Chiropractor has specialized in car accident whiplash and concussion. Dr. Marks is highly regarded as an expert with over 35 years experience and years of specialized post-doctorate training in whiplash, brain injury, vehicle crash reconstruction, disability evaluation, courtroom testimony and more.