The vacations generally is a harmful time to hit the highway. It doesn’t matter what our nation is celebrating, there’s all the time a spike in automobile accidents throughout the vacation season.
Many households need to keep away from crowded airports and prepare stations. As a substitute, they decide to take their private automobiles to go to kinfolk for the vacations.
Sadly, extra site visitors means extra possibilities for wrecks.
Learn on beneath to study extra about this vacation journey season, the most recent information about vacation automobile accidents, and how one can maintain your loved ones protected by means of all of it.
For those who’re in want of a automobile accident lawyer, we’re right here for you 24/7. We provide free consultations, 12 months a yr.
What Vacation Has the Most Automotive Accidents?
It doesn’t matter what yr it’s, motorists will all the time face some vacation hazards.
Why is vacation journey harmful? What’s the most harmful vacation to drive, and the place? To search out out extra about vacation journey dangers, a study by ValuePenguin appeared on the Fatality Evaluation Reporting System’s deadly automobile accident information over a span of 4 years. A few of their findings:
- Memorial Day Weekend got here in first, with a mean of 312 deadly accidents per yr. Labor Day weekend and 4th of July weekend adopted shut behind, with 308 and 307 respectively. (The typical variety of deadly accidents in a traditional/non-holiday 3-day span was 250.)
- Houston, San Antonio, and Los Angeles have been essentially the most harmful cities to drive in throughout holidays.
- I-10, which stretches by means of Texas on its means from California to Florida, is the most dangerous road to drive on throughout the Thanksgiving/Christmas interval.
- General, the southeastern area of the US was extra prone to have accidents.
Moreover, supply truck drivers are sometimes on tighter deadlines throughout the vacation season. Once they make poor choices to attempt to meet these deadlines, akin to dashing or driving whereas fatigued, they will trigger severe truck accidents.
Drunk Driving & the Holidays
With all of the revelry of a vacation, there’s additionally an inflow of drunk drivers — and drunk driving accidents — round today. In Texas, vacation intervals see greater than a 33% improve in drunk driving crashes, drunk driving incapacitating accidents, and drunk driving accident fatalities.
We’re certain you’ve heard of Black Friday, however what about “Blackout Wednesday?” This questionable unofficial vacation is how some folks select to spend the day earlier than Thanksgiving, kicking off their four-day-weekend by grabbing drinks with their hometown friends.
Based on The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s information for one current yr, 41 People died in drunk driving accidents between 6PM on “Blackout Wednesday” and 6AM Thanksgiving morning. That’s a mean of virtually one dying each quarter-hour.
Bartenders aren’t the one ones who put together for this present day. Police are on excessive alert as effectively. The truth is, many police departments throughout the nation are hypervigilant throughout all holidays, looking out for drivers below the affect. For those who drive drunk, you not solely danger getting arrested or having your automobile impounded, you danger the lives of others. Don’t danger it. We encourage you to nominate a chosen driver everytime you and your crew go away house.
Most Harmful Holidays to Drive in Texas
What vacation has essentially the most automobile accidents? Are sure holidays extra harmful than others for Texas drivers? To take a better look, our automobile accident lawyer workforce analyzed vacation automobile accident statistics collected by TxDOT from 2015 to 2019. Right here’s what we found.
[source: The Texas Department of Transportation]
Over the 5 years we studied, the 4th of July interval had essentially the most deadly automobile accidents in Texas. Thanksgiving got here in second. Memorial Day ranked third, though folks have been extra prone to drink on this vacation and the previous weekend.
Drunk driving was a constant challenge: alcohol contributed to over one third of all deadly vacation automobile accidents.
Security Ideas for Avoiding a Vacation Automotive Accident
Questioning find out how to scale back your danger of a crash after studying all these vacation automobile accident statistics? Listed below are our vacation highway journey suggestions for staying protected on the market.
Get a tune-up.
You must get a automobile inspection earlier than any massive highway journey, however particularly for those who’ll be encountering snowy climate. Exchange boring wiper blades, change your oil, and verify your brakes, tire strain, battery life, filters, and fluid ranges. Be sure you verify your lights so that you keep seen to different drivers on the highway at night time!
Make a plan.
If you find yourself operating late to a vacation gathering, you might be tempted to hurry to make it in supper time. Plan forward to keep away from this situation. Use a map app to estimate what number of hours the drive will probably be, add in additional time for snacks and leg stretches, then add in much more time for good measure.
Be ready for emergencies.
packing guidelines will make sure you don’t neglect something. Pack the next on your journey:
- first-aid equipment
- jumper cables
- flashlights
- flares or reflectors
- spare tire and equipment (jack, wrench, and many others.)
- hand sanitizer
- disposable gloves
- moist wipes and paper towels
- snacks and water
- energy financial institution or solar-powered cellphone charger
Maintain your tank full.
Get fuel, even whenever you assume you don’t want it. Fuel stations is likely to be few and much between, so take each alternative to keep away from getting stranded. Put on disposable gloves when pumping fuel to guard in opposition to germs.
Keep away from fatigued driving.
Don’t drive for greater than 8 hours straight. Take turns with different licensed passengers for those who can.
Keep away from driving at night time.
Purpose to achieve your vacation spot earlier than sunset, even when meaning waking up at 4AM. Studies show driving at night is more dangerous, and also you’re extra prone to overlook bike riders or encounter drunk drivers at night time. Which brings us to our last and most essential tip…
Drink responsibly/have a chosen driver.
That spiked eggnog can sneak up on you. For those who’ve partied too laborious, do the accountable factor and name an Uber or a cab. Then again, if you’re internet hosting a gathering involving alcohol, affirm that each visitor is 100% sober or has a chosen driver after they depart. If not, don’t be afraid to grab some keys and inflate some air mattresses!
Know who to name.
In case of emergency, that you must know somebody’s obtained your again. For those who want a automobile accident lawyer, we’re right here for you!
Comfortable Holidays from Stewart J. Guss, Harm Accident Attorneys
With regards to vacation automobile accidents, alcohol isn’t the one perpetrator. Drivers could also be frazzled by the final hustle and bustle of the vacations, distracted by unruly youngsters within the automobile, or sleepy from gorging on an excessive amount of turkey. You would possibly even get right into a fender bender in a crowded division retailer car parking zone!
This season, take solace within the reality we’re all working towards the widespread objective of avoiding a vacation automobile accident. By staying cautious this yr, you possibly can guarantee everybody makes it to their household’s desk within the years nonetheless to return. Do your half. Plan forward, and by no means make the choice to get behind the wheel for those who’re fatigued or below the affect.
For those who or your loved ones have been injured in a vacation automobile accident, you deserve the perfect automobile accident lawyer. Our specialists can be found 24/7, 12 months a yr, to offer 100% FREE consultations. Name now to get the solutions you want, and the compassion you deserve.
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