Can Arizona’s Hot Weather Cause More Car Accidents?

The hot Arizona desert can be a contributing factor to car crashes in the state. As if there aren’t enough hazards on the roads to already, residents of the state of Arizona have another hurdle to overcome when they are out and about on the roads. Extremely hot weather, which the state is well-known to experience has been linked to increased traffic accidents. A study showed that driver performance decreases with rising temperatures.

How Does Hot Weather Affect Phoenix Drivers?

The study showed that on days where the temperature was very high, traffic accidents increased as well. The study focused on driver performance factors such as sleepiness, fatigue, distraction, and driver error. As a result, it was concluded that when the weather gets very hot, drivers should keep this in mind and proceed more cautiously when they are traveling on the roads.

The researchers measured daily motor vehicle accidents where that were both fatal and caused injuries and compared the numbers with the day’s temperature during a span of 11 years from 2000 through 2011. The study that was done in Catalonia, Spain, found that on days where there was a noted heatwave, car accidents went up by 2.9%. Also during high-heat days, driver performance was decreased, as driver error causing crashes on these days also rose by 7.7%. For every 1 degree Celcius that increased in temperature, there was a concurrent 1.1% increase in crashes where there was poor driver performance.

This study was done over a long span of time showing convincing results that heat does impact our ability to drive safely. This was not the only study done on temperature affecting human performance, there have been other research teams looking at similar relationships between hot weather and human performance. These studies have also concluded similar results, that hot weather causes drivers to have higher incidents of technical driving errors. Some of the most common errors seen include drifting between lanes, missing signals, showing less alertness, and more signs of fatigue.

Where Can You Find An Arizona Automobile Accident Injury Attorney?

According to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Arizona Crash facts summary, there were a total of 127,056 car crashes in 2018 in the state. October was the peak month for crashes, and while October is cooler than August, the state can still see 10 hours of sunshine per day with temperatures reaching the high 80’s to low 90’s. The summary also reports that an overwhelming majority of crashes in 2018, 72.9%, took place during daylight hours.

If you have been hit and injured in an Arizona car accident, the Arizona automobile accident injury attorneys at ELG are one of the most well-respected and well-known Pheonix area law firms that can help you with your personal injury claim. Our entire focus is on helping victims see their full legal justice after an accident that was not their fault. Our Phoenix serious injury attorneys only deal with personal injury cases allowing us to be laser-focused on putting the most attention and detail into working your case when you are ready to file a claim.

After your accident, contact the bilingual Spanish-speaking Phoenix personal injury attorneys at ELG today at (623) 877-3600 to schedule your free consultation.