After months of enjoying a mild winter, the snow has finally fallen and frozen on Minnesota highways. While many drivers are able to adjust safely to the changing road conditions, there are still a very high number of car accidents during these winter months.

Unfortunately, accidents are common sights in the winter. We see cars in ditches, cars that have collided into one another and cars that get stuck in the snow. Winter driving has a number of hazards already. Add reckless or distracted drivers into the situation and the chance of getting in an accident increases.

Weather over the weekend coated the highways in ice and a light snow. As a result, the state police reported nearly 100 crashes across Minnesota during a just a few hours this morning. Nearly half of the accidents occurred in the Twin Cities metro area. These accidents are in addition to 140 cars that simply spun out of control. There were 15 crashes that caused injury in those few hours.

A number of factors may have led to these accidents. Due to the time of the accidents, it may be possible that some drivers were drowsy and could not react fast enough to the changing road conditions or stopped vehicles. People who are fatigued while driving are at a higher risk for being in an accident.

Reckless drivers may have failed to adjust their driving behavior appropriately. Following others too closely and speeding are common reasons that people get in a crash.

With winter finally here in Minnesota, drivers should be alert and aware on the road. If someone causes an accident due to negligent behavior, such as drowsy driving or reckless behavior, he or she may be held financially responsible for the resulting damage.

Source: Kare 11, "Snow and ice combo makes for messy commute," Jan. 23, 2012