The holiday season should be a time for joyful celebrations and enjoying time with family. Unfortunately, it is a high-risk time on roadways throughout New York. Christmas, New Year’s, and the days surrounding these holidays are days when there is a substantially higher number of auto accidents and crash fatalities than other times of the year. If you or someone you love is hurt or killed in a holiday car accident, RMFW’s New York injury attorneys are here to help you take action.
Holiday Car Accident Risks
USA Today reported on the most dangerous days on U.S. roads, and Christmas, New Year’s, and Thanksgiving all topped the list of high-risk days for drivers. These holidays had some of the year’s highest accident rates, along with Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Independence Day. The increase in fatalities and serious injury accidents on these holidays is considered to be substantial by safety experts, with motorists facing a dramatically increased chance of crash involvement. According to US News, Thanksgiving is actually the deadliest holiday of the year for motorists. The Thanksgiving period is defined as the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving to the Monday after for purposes of determining Thanksgiving accident risks. During this time period, the road becomes crowded with many motorists traveling to see friends and family. Drunk driving also increases. All of this results in a substantial increase in car accident fatalities. In 2012, for example, 416 people died in Thanksgiving holiday traffic accidents. Edmunds also warns about risks on Christmas and New Year’s. The Christmas holiday period is defined to include Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas. During this holiday time, an average of 343 people die in motor vehicle accidents. New Years is also defined as a three-day holiday period including New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Over New Year’s, an average of 373 people die in car accidents. Increased travel and impaired driving are also two primary reasons for the rise in car accident deaths on both Christmas and New Year’s. Motorists need to be aware of added dangers of driving on these holidays and drivers should take precautions to try to protect themselves from becoming accident victims. Motorists who take safety seriously could also help to bring overall crash rates down. Edmunds recommends doing preventative car maintenance before traveling; getting plenty of rest to avoid drowsy driving; checking road conditions to be prepared for adverse weather and avoid driving during storms; and trying to travel as much as possible during the daytime rather than driving at night when the accident risks are greater. Staying sober and avoiding alcohol and drugs are also essential to avoiding holiday accidents, and Edmunds also cautions against the added dangers of distracted driving during the holiday season when the roads tend to be much busier due to increased travel. If you or someone you love is the victim of a crash on any holiday, it is important to pursue a claim for compensation for serious injuries or wrongful death. The injury attorneys at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff can provide assistance with pursuing a case for compensation for holiday crash injuries. Contact us today to learn more about your rights under the law.
