The holiday season has arrived, and if Thanksgiving showed us anything it’s that we can expect millions of Americans to continue traveling this year, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The nation’s roads could again see numerous accidents and fatalities during the holiday period.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are generally more motor vehicle crashes during holiday periods than during non-holiday periods, which the agency attributes to:
- Increases in hours and miles traveled compared to normal days
- More alcohol use than the average day
- Excessive driving speeds as travelers rush to get to various destinations to celebrate
From 2000 through 2018, an average of 1,052 fatal accidents occurred on U.S. roads every year in the roughly 9-day period from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day, according to the NHTSA. If more people stay home this year due to COVID-19, perhaps we’ll see fewer highway deaths this holiday season.
4 Tips for Staying Safe During the Holidays
If you’re planning on hitting the road this month, you can take several steps to decrease your risk of being involved in a motor vehicle accident:
- Don’t drink and drive—but assume others are: About 45% of all traffic fatalities during the holidays occur in crashes that involve alcohol. If you have a few drinks, please be sure to have a sober driver to take you home or call an Uber or Lyft. And even if you don’t drink, drive with extra caution because more drivers than usual will be. You want to be ready to use evasive maneuvers if needed to avoid a collision.
- Rest up: It’s easy to lose sleep during the stressful holiday period, but before you set out on the roads, make sure you relax and get some solid sleep so you can be alert behind the wheel.
- Plan daytime trips: Some drivers have trouble seeing at night. Others drink during the day then drive at night. Minimize these and other hazards by driving during the day if you can.
- Don’t get distracted: Many of us travel with kids in the car during the holidays, and with kids come more distractions—toys, fighting, laughing and more. Do your best to stay focused on the road and pull over if you need to address something a child is doing in the car.
Taking these simple precautions can help you and your loved ones stay safe on Texas roads this holiday season.
If an Accident Happens, Our Dallas Lawyers Are Here for You
If you are hurt in a crash this holiday season, talk to the Dallas auto accident lawyers at Ted B. Lyon & Associates. If the accident happened because another driver was drunk, reckless or otherwise negligent, our attorneys will do everything possible to secure compensation for you. Call 877-Ted-Lyon / 877-833-5966 or simply send us a message to schedule a free consultation.
