Holiday Driving Dangers

Each holiday season, families prepare to celebrate with relatives and friends during the holiday season, decorating and planning get-togethers and celebrations. Unfortunately, these celebrations can take a tragic turn in the event of an accident. More fatal traffic accidents occur during the holiday season than during any other part of the year.

During the holiday season, people drive long distances in heavy traffic, and holiday celebrations commonly include alcohol consumption. The combination of long weekends, long-distance drivers, high traffic, dangerous weather conditions, and alcohol make Thanksgiving Day the most dangerous day to be out on the road, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). New Year’s Eve comes in 5th place, with an average of 421 vehicular deaths each year.

Keep yourself, your family, and everyone else on the road safe this holiday season by following some common sense safety measures:

• Never drink and drive. Always designate a sober driver or plan to spend the night with a friend or relative after a night of drinking alcohol. Drunk driving is the cause of the majority of all holiday traffic accidents. Even if you have not been drinking, consider staying off the road at night to avoid driving near others who may have consumed alcohol irresponsibly.
• Plan your trip in advance. Check alternate routes in case of traffic or inclement weather. Leave for your destination early to give yourself plenty of driving time with no need to speed or rush.
• Take breaks. Overly-tired drivers can experience symptoms similar to those experienced by people under the influence of alcohol. In fact, over 100,000 crashes and 1,550 deaths each year are caused by drivers who fell asleep behind the wheel. Take plenty of breaks, and switch drivers if needed.

Contact Us

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a negligent driver this holiday season, you may have grounds to pursue legal action against the party responsible for your injuries or losses. Contact the Stevens Point car accident attorneys of Habush Habush & Rottier S.C. ® at 800-242-2874 to discuss your situation and your legal options.