It’s a holiday everyone looks forward to each year and yet because of that, it also presents injury risks. Thanksgiving is a time when serious accidents may occur simply because there are so many people on the road. Given that car accidents are already a leading cause of injury throughout the country, more people traveling and perhaps engaging in dangerous behaviors behind the wheel increases your chances that you might end up in an accident.
Physicians have reported for years that mortality in the U.S. always jumps near the Thanksgiving holiday and stays high throughout the rest of the winter. Two major reasons behind fatalities around Thanksgiving are heart attacks and car accidents. It turns out that for car accidents, Thanksgiving almost always comes out on top in terms of fatal crashes..
Don’t Drive and Drive on Thanksgiving
Enjoying alcohol near the holidays always presents a risk if you’re not staying in for the day or night- getting into the car while under the influence puts others at risk, too. Research from the NHTSA shows that approximately 40% of passengers killed each Thanksgiving were involved in a wreck with a drunk driver.
If you see someone else on the road who seems to be under the influence of alcohol, contact the authorities immediately. Your decision to report a concern could even save a life.
Wear Your Seat Belt
It’s important to buckle up every time you get into a car, but the stakes are even higher around Thanksgiving. Data shows that as many as 60% of the passengers killed in Thanksgiving accidents never buckled their seat belt.
Since children can grow quickly, don’t strap them into car or booster seats this year unless you’re sure that those seats still fit. Do a safety check to ensure that the seat is properly fitted into the car. Never buy used car seats, since they could have been involved in an accident without your knowing it. If the car seat already sustained an impact, your child may be at risk if you’re involved in a crash.
Complete Car Maintenance
If you’re headed out on a road trip, it’s a good idea to complete all your maintenance well in advance. Make sure that your windshield wipers are working properly and that your tires have been inflated properly to ensure that you’re aware of any major issues before you hit the road. You’ll decrease your chances of a breakdown caused by lack of maintenance and this is also a good time to review that you have the right safety equipment on board, like flares, if something were to happen to you.
If you are involved in an accident on Thanksgiving, you could be facing life-changing injuries as a result. Knowing that you have legal rights to pursue a claim if someone else’s negligent behavior was at fault may help you, so schedule a consultation with the experienced team at McDonald Worley today to learn more about next steps.