Protecting Yourself And Others While Driving During The Holiday Season
Brian O Sutter
Accident Lawyers
As you are probably aware by now, the holiday season is among us! This joyous time of the year allows us to spend time and celebrate life with distant relatives and friends. On the other hand, the holiday season can also bring about a lot of stress and problems. People are always running around last minute trying to buy gifts for relatives, or driving long distances to visit family out of state. The abundance of alcohol at holiday gatherings can also pose problems for people trying to get home at night. All in all, the holiday season brings about increased driving risks for people all over the country. In order to keep yourself, your family, and others safe this holiday season, here are a few preventative measures that our team of car crash lawyers suggest that you take before getting on the road. Inspecting Your Vehicle
Before getting in your car and taking off on a long trip, the first thing you should do is inspect your car thoroughly. You need to make sure that your vehicle is working properly, which includes checking car parts such as headlights, taillights, turning signals, tire pressure, seat belts, and even windshield wipers/fluid. If all of these car parts are operating perfectly, you are much less likely to get into any kind of car accident. You will also not be pulled over by law enforcement for something such as a broken taillight, which can severely delay you on your trip over to your loved ones. Taking a few minutes before your trip to inspect these car parts can save you a lot of headaches down the road!
Dealing With Stress And Fatigue
The next preventative measure to consider relates to your mental well-being. If you are driving and are suddenly overwhelmed with stress or fatigue, do yourself and everyone else on the road a favor and pull over to the side of the road. Distracted driving is easily the number one cause for car accidents these days, and if you are stressed out because of holiday activities and responsibilities, you are not fully focused on the road; putting yourself and others in danger.
The hectic holiday schedule can also result in fatigue, since most people's sleep schedules are severely compromised during these times of the year. In fact, drowsy driving in general is responsible for an average of 72,000 accidents per year. If you feel yourself nodding out while driving with your family, pull over to the side of the road. Hopefully, your spouse, or someone else that is of age to operate a motor vehicle, can do you a favor and take over the wheel.
The Dangers Of Drunk Driving
Last, but certainly not least, is the discussion about alcohol during the holidays. As mentioned earlier, the holiday season is a time to celebrate life with friends and family. As a result, wine, eggnog, liquor, and other alcoholic beverages usually come into the mix during these parties. If you have been drinking during this holiday season, make sure that you avoid getting behind the wheel of the vehicle. Drunk driving is still a major problem when it comes to car accidents. On top of this, the amount of trouble that you can get into if caught driving while intoxicated is astronomical. As car crash and accident lawyers, trust us when we say that you do not want to be involved in an alcohol-related car accident. Police and other law enforcement are out in great numbers during the holiday season, in order to ensure that anyone who decides to drink and drive will be caught and punished.
We hope that these driving tips will be about a safe and successful holiday season for you and your family!