Winter has definitely settled in to most parts of the UnitedStates, and people are feeling its effects from severe flooding inNorthern California and Nevada to snow and ice across the Midwestas well as up and down the East Coast.

As insurance professionals are aware, winter also brings its ownsets of hazards on the road, but these dangers vary by the part ofthe country you're driving in.

Of the approximately 5.7 million car crashed in the U.S. eachyear, 22 percent are caused by adverse weather conditions orsliding on slick pavement, according to Farmers' Insurance's“Seasonal Smarts Digest.”

Although Thanksgiving is recognized as the busiest travel timeof the year with an average 214-mile long-distance car trip, morepeople travel farther by car for Christmas and New Year's, anaverage of 275 miles.

From December to February, Farmers claims data for the lastthree years noted three major trouble spots for driversnationally:

• Skidding on ice or snow: 76 percent
• Other vehicle has the right of way: 26 percent
• Theft: 25 percent

Winter road tips

Here are some winter road tips from Farmers to help you andyour clients stay safe on the road:

• Prepare your car for winter. Check your tires, front and rearwindow defrosters, and windshield wipers to make sure they're ingood condition and work correctly, and fill your wiper fluidreservoir with a no-freeze product. Keep extra wiper fluid in yourcar, along with an ice scraper, blanket, jumper cables and anemergency kit.
• Don't drive until you've cleared all the snow and ice off yourvehicle, including your windshield, windows and roof. Snow and icesliding off the roof can cause a hazard for other drivers on theroad — and it's illegal in many states.
• Remember to stay cautious. Even though you may be drivingcarefully in icy conditions, there's no guarantee that otherdrivers are driving just as carefully. Stay aware, and avoiddistractions, especially your phone or other passengers.
• Watch out for unique winter hazards. During cold weather,bridges and overpasses are often the first areas to become icy, souse extra caution or plan a route that avoids them. Passing snowplows and sand trucks can also be dangerous. The drivers'visibility can be reduced and they won't be expecting anyone topass them, so they may not see you or be aware of yourvehicle.

What follows are the three most common fall road hazards, basedon Farmers comprehensive claims data, across eight regions in thecontiguous U.S.:

Related: A look at fall's most common road hazards, regionby region

Shelley Gallivan, right, talks on the phone next to a tippedover Smart car which belongs to her friend on the corner ofProspect and Coso avenues in San Francisco, April 7, 2014. FourSmart cars were flipped over during an apparent vandalism spree.(Photo: AP/Jeff Chiu)

Southwest

California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah

1. Vandalism and mischief: 31 percent (of comprehensiveclaims)
2. Rear-end accidents: 16 percent (of collision claims)
3. Hit while legally parked: 11 percent (of collision claims)

Related: Was Arizona agent negligent for not obtainingUM/UIM coverage?

Members of Caldwell Fire and Rescue work to remove a vehiclefrom the side of a Caldwell, Idaho, home after the vehicle crashedthrough a fence and into the home. (Photo: IdahoPress-Tribune, Greg Kreller)

Pacific Northwest

Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana

1. Collision with animals: 27 percent (of comprehensiveclaims)
2. Rear-end accidents: 14 percent (of collision claims)
3. Hitting an object or pedestrian: 11 percent (of collisionclaims)

Related: Oh, deer! Drivers beware, it's deerseason

Icy branches partially block a city street and fall amidparked cars in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: AP/Dirk Lammers)

Midwest

Colorado, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota andWyoming

1. Collision with animals: 35 percent (of comprehensiveclaims)
2. Rear-end accidents: 15 percent (of collision claims)
3. Collision while backing up: 12 percent (of collisionclaims)

Related: Here are the top 10 states people are movinginto

In this image taken from video, a wrecked school van sits onthe road as investigators survey the scene in Trinity, Texas, Dec.1, 2016. A young girl died after the school van, that had stoppedto pick up children, was rear-ended by a truck on the rural EastTexas highway with multiple students, and the van driver alsoinjured. (KTRE via AP)

South Central

Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, New Mexico, Arkansas andLouisiana

1. Collision with animals: 28 percent (of comprehensiveclaims)
2. Rear-end accidents: 16 percent (of collision claims)
3. Hitting an object or pedestrian: 11 percent (of collisionclaims)

Related: A crash course I how auto technology is changingclaims

Cars navigate a slippery Highway 54 as abandoned vehiclesline the roadway in Chapel Hill, N.C. (Photo: AP/GerryBroome)

Southeast

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, SouthCarolina and Tennessee

1. Collision with animals: 29 percent (of comprehensiveclaims)
2. Rear-end accidents: 16 percent (of collision claims)
3. Collision while backing up: 9 percent (of collisionclaims)

Related: 9 fraudsters join the Hall ofShame

A woman braves blowing and heavy wet snow near Peavey Plazain Minneapolis, Minn. (Photo: AP/JimMone)

Greater Great Lakes

Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio andWisconsin

1. Collision with animals: 46 percent (of comprehensiveclaims)
2. Rear-end accidents: 15 percent (of collision claims)
3. Hitting an object or pedestrian: 13 percent (of collisionclaims)

Related: 7 steps to paying the right amount for bodilyinjury claims

A large group of turkey vultures feed on a dead deer thatwas hit by a car alongside a road near Newtown, Pa. (Photo: AP/MelEvans)

Mid-Atlantic

New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington,D.C., Virginia and West Virginia

1. Collision with animals: 43 percent (of comprehensiveclaims)
2. Rear-end accidents: 13 percent (of collision claims)
3. Hit while legally parked: 12 percent (of collision claims)

Related: Swoop & squat: Beware of these insurancefraudsters

Malede Dorbo, of Lawrence, Mass., walks down the center ofthe street, in Lawrence, Mass., following a winter storm. (Photo:AP/Lisa Poole)

New England

Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and RhodeIsland

1. Collision with animals: 26 percent (of comprehensiveclaims)
2. Hitting an object or pedestrian: 12 percent (of collisionclaims)
3. Rear-end accidents: 12 percent (of collision claims)

Related: 5 most walkable cities that are the most dangerousfor pedestrians

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