When the hot weather comes, people hit the road and take to the skies. Summer is perfect for getting out of town, going to the beach, or visiting the family. With more vehicles out there traveling, you can expect more accidents. This shouldn’t make you shy away from traveling, but it should provide some reason for pause. You don’t have to be traveling to feel the effects of the crowded road. That traveler heading through your city might also impact your daily commute or your nightly outing to dinner with your spouse. Here’s an overview of the dangers lurking out there.
Accidents with Young Drivers
Young people pour onto the roads when school ends for the summer. They have little experience, and in some cases they lack proper judgment. They also feel the effects of their friends, who can distract them or pressure them to drive erratically. They are a major part of the reason why accident rates go up during those hotter months. If you’re looking for specifics, think of August as the month where the most collisions will happen across the country. Accidents can happen in many ways when young people are involved in summer cruising. Multi-car accidents can cause major injury or even death. Other wrecks will be the one-car variety. The injuries in any accident situation are felt on both sides of the accident. Even when young people survive without so much as a scratch, they might hurt other people, including you. They may also cause property damage to your vehicle. If you happen to be hurt in one of these accidents, you could suffer a host of different pains. You might suffer from head trauma, broken bones, and back or neck injuries. If you happen to suffer severe physical or property damage, you’ll incur higher insurance premiums, too.
The numbers are clear on the utter carnage of summertime accidents. They cost billions of dollars each summer. While drivers of any age might be involved in an accident, a driver younger than 20 has a much higher chance of being involved in a wreck. On a percentage basis, brand new drivers cause more deaths on the road than any competing group. You must remember when you took to the road as a new driver. Just like you back then, the new drivers of today don’t have the skill or experience to avoid dangerous situations. More than that, they are prone to distraction, using their phones, eating food, messing with their friends, or just generally not paying attention to the road. If you happen to encounter one of these drivers and it ends in disaster, you might need to have a personal injury attorney on speed dial.
The Dangers of Distracted Driving
Society has become much more aware of the dangers of distracted driving. These driving accidents are occurring with much more frequency now that technology is more readily accessible to all drivers. Due to the financial and physical toll caused by property damage, many states have put in legislation to reduce its impact. With this legislation, they are looking to cut down on deaths and major injuries in the hot months of summer. Since cell phones play such a major role in driving accidents, many states have gone after cell phone usage. Some sources have reported that one in ten drivers in a deadly crash was distracted in some way, usually involving a cell phone. Texting is especially dangerous, and it continues to rank among the top causes of deadly accidents and bad personal injury situations today.
Alternative Attempts to Reduce the Carnage
Many states have focused on pushing safe and defensive driving initiatives. They encourage drivers to slow down and to leave home with plenty of time to spare. Likewise, people are expected to wear seat belts when they enter the vehicle. These measures help to keep the chances of an accident down and, perhaps more importantly, they reduce the chances of death and serious injury when an accident does occur. If you want to reduce your chance of being involved in one of these driving accidents, you must pay attention, watch your speed, and always be on the defensive. While you might not be able to change the behavior of that young summer driver, you can react when he makes his mistake.
Attempts by Law Enforcement to Cut Down on Summer Accidents
Many police offices are sending out more officers to patrol the streets and highways during the summer. They’re using DUI stops, seat belt checks, and other initiatives to promote safe driving. Likewise, officers will check to ensure that vehicles have the proper paperwork and that no criminal activity is afoot. Law-abiding drivers have nothing to worry about, as these officers are looking to keep the roads safe.
Understanding the Risks on the Memorial Day Holiday
According to information from AAA, more people hit the road for Memorial Day weekend in 2016 than in any other year this decade. With fuel costs sinking, more people were able to head to the lake or visit family members. Millions of drivers put more miles on their car than they otherwise would have. If you’re on the road during that time, it’s critical to pay close attention.
Deaths on American roads are going down. Personal injury lawyers are still busy with cases of people who’ve been hurt, though. The summer months are especially dangerous, so if you’re going to be driving, keep in mind these safety tips to avoid becoming a statistic.
