Thanksgiving Weekend: Tips For Staying Safe

Thanksgiving weekend is quickly approaching. As personal injury attorneys, we know that the Thanksgiving weekend is perhaps the deadliest time to be traveling on the road. This time of year there are more people driving to visit friends and family than any other time of year. With an increase in the number of cars on the road comes an increase in the number car accidents.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, during a recent Thanksgiving weekend, in excess of 300 individuals lost their lives in car accidents in the United States.

This holiday season, we urge you to take a couple simple precautions that will increase your safety and may even save your life or the life of someone you love.

Seatbelts Save Lives

The NHTSA reported that during the most recent Thanksgiving holiday weekend for which data is available, more than half of the people who were killed in traffic accidents did not have a seatbelt on. In collisions occurring after dark during the same time period, an astounding 64 percent of fatal accident victims were not buckled up.

Buckling up and making sure your passengers are buckled up too is a simple and quick action that can save lives. Data suggests that 87% of those traveling in cars do wear seatbelts. This means that 13% of people do not. Although this number is better than it used to be, it still places far too many people in danger of serious injury and death that could be easily prevented by buckling up.

Inspect Your Vehicle

Before heading out on the road for your Thanksgiving weekend trip, inspect your car to make sure it is in good repair. Check all four tires, including the spare. Verify they are properly inflated and in good enough shape to make the trip. You may even want to take your vehicle in and have the brakes checked out if they have not been replaced in a while. Check your records to make sure your car is up to date on maintenance. A little work now may save you from being stranded on the side of the road.

Prepare An Emergency

When you are preparing for your Thanksgiving road trip, make sure you have everything you will need should an emergency occur while you are on the road. This means that in most parts of the country you should be prepared for cold weather and snowy conditions. Make sure you have jumper cables, flashlights, blankets, and enough water, food, and any medication you may need until you can get help.

If you become stranded, do not leave the engine running for too long with the windows closed, as it is common to get carbon monoxide poisoning that way.

Stay Alert

People may pay less attention to the road during a holiday trip than they normally would. They may also be unfamiliar with the area in which they are driving. You need to stay alert and pay more attention than you usually would, not less. Roads will be more crowded, some people may be driving after they have been drinking, and others may be inattentive. Because of these circumstances, you need to be alert and attentive. Keep away from things that may Distract you driving such as phones and other gadgets.

While it is definitely unpleasant to think about injury and death during the Thanksgiving weekend, a bit of planning and preparation is worth it. By taking these simple steps to staying safe, you can do your part in making sure this Thanksgiving will be one that creates wonderful memories.

Do You Need A Personal Injury Attorney?

While you can increase your odds of staying safe by planning and preparing, unfortunately, accidents do happen. Walsh Woodard LLC represents those who have been seriously injured or harmed due to the negligence or wrongful conduct of others. Our firm practices law in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, motor vehicle accidents, defective products, defective premises or other incidents involving negligent or wrongful conduct.