Once Thanksgiving and Christmas have come and gone, the excitement for the new year begins. Celebrations are planned, and get-togethers are arranged. During all the fun, have you stopped to consider your family’s safety on this exciting day? Unfortunately, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day bring a much higher risk of accidents, so safety should be a consideration. The reasons for these accidents vary, but year-to-year statistics have shown that extra precautions should be taken.
So, what part do you play in all of this? What are the dangers that you need to be aware of, and how can you protect your family while still keeping the new year celebrations a priority? First, we all need a little better understanding of the dangers we face and the risk of accidents that arise with the holiday season.
New Year’s Risk of Accidents
Dangerous Road Conditions
New Year’s Eve celebrations often coincide with winter storms making it hard to see and the roads slippery and extra risky to drive. You can do what you can to travel early to avoid storms and even stay an extra day to wait for hazardous roads to be plowed and cleaned up, but dangerous road conditions are sometimes unavoidable.
Harsh weather may be to blame in your car accident, but it doesn’t always mean that it is the only thing to blame. Many times, another party is negligent or at fault for an accident, even if only partially. For example, have they failed to maintain the safety of their vehicle? Are their tires so worn that they cannot provide any traction in the snow? Was the driver distracted texting on their phone? All kinds of things could factor into the real reason your accident occurred.
Increased Alcohol Consumption
Drunk driving never really goes away, but it is sure to increase at certain times of the year. The holiday season usually brings more intoxicated drivers leaving parties to get home or just drinking more in celebration in general. You may get tired of hearing others tell you to be careful driving even if you’ve only had one or two drinks, but it’s for a good reason. New Year’s Day brings the most fatalities of any other day of the year for drunk driving. How can you not pay attention to that statistic?
More Cars on the Road
Increased alcohol consumption isn’t the only cause of the added risk of accidents during the holiday season. There are just simply more cars on the road this time of year. In addition, more people are traveling to family far away or attending friends’ and family’s parties nearby. We all seem to be out and about even more during the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s.
Distracted or Drowsy Drivers
It’s so easy for any of us to become distracted while driving. After all, multitasking has been ingrained in us, so why wouldn’t we try to do the same while driving? However, there is a very important reason why you should never try to multitask while behind the wheel. Your safety! You want to be around for many more New Year’s celebrations, and those around you do as well. Make a rule for yourself and follow it. Just don’t do it. No text message is more important than your or someone else’s life.
Driving drowsy is also a common problem, especially for those late-night partyers on New Year’s Eve. The holidays bring about excitement but sometimes lots of stress too. If you find yourself struggling to focus and keep your eyes open while driving, pull over and call someone to come get you. Don’t chance an accident from trying to make it home when you’re exhausted.
Keep Your Family Safe This New Year’s
Here are a few tips that you can use to help keep you and your family as safe as possible during this New Year’s celebration.
- Wear your seatbelt – Don’t forget to buckle up whenever you get in a vehicle and make sure that those traveling with you do the same. If you are in an accident, your best protection will be to have your seat belt on.
- Have a plan to get home – Do you have a designated driver that can drive you safely home after you have been drinking at a party? Do you plan to call an Uber or a family member to get home instead? Before attending any party you know you will be drinking at, make sure you have a set plan for a ride home. If you have a plan beforehand and aren’t just” winging it,” your chances of staying safe and not getting behind the wheel drunk are much better.
- Don’t drive distracted – It doesn’t matter if you’ve been drinking; driving distracted can cost you your life just the same. Stay off your phone and pay attention to the road ahead. Stay alert to others who are not choosing to do the same. It can make the difference between you surviving your drive home or not.
- Plan to travel in better weather – If you can, travel on clear days to avoid risky roads that could cause you to crash. Add snow tires if needed, and keep an emergency kit in your car that includes a blanket, jumper cables, water, protein bars, a portable phone charger, and a first aid kit. You never know when you might be stranded somewhere and need something.
Have You Been in a New Year’s Accident?
If the increased risk of accidents this New Year’s finds you involved in a crash and you need legal help filing a lawsuit against the other party, look no further. Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, L.L.C. have years of experience aiding accident victims in successfully obtaining compensation to pay for the damages incurred by someone else’s negligence. We are ready to talk to you about your case and how we can help. Call us at (504) 522-2304.
