An experienced personal injury lawyer knows motorists in Jonesboro, Paragould, Craighead County, Lawrence County, Greene County, Mississippi County, Poinsett County and surrounding areas needed to be careful of the added risk of car accidents over the recent Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day is actually Number One on a recent list published by Yahoo News of the 10 most dangerous days on the road, but there are other dangerous times of the year.
What are the Most Dangerous Days on the Road?
Yahoo's list of the 10 most dangerous days on the road included:
- Memorial Day weekend.
- The beginning of daylight savings time.
- Black Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving).
- Days when there are National Football League football games.
- Friday the 13th.
- New Year's Day (which is actually more dangerous than New Year's Eve).
- Independence Day (The Fourth of July).
- Thanksgiving.
- Christmas.
- St. Patrick's Day.
Many of these days have two primary things in common: there are more people on the roads and there is a greater chance that a good portion of the people who are driving have consumed alcohol. For example, over Thanksgiving, more than 46 million Americans take car trips of 50 miles or more away from home. Over St. Patrick's Day, many people consume alcohol and about 2 of every 5 crash-related deaths on this holiday involve people who are impaired. New Year's, Christmas, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July all involve lots of people in their cars and a disproportionate number of impaired drivers compared to other days of the year.
Some of the other days, like daylight saving time and Friday the 13th, cannot be explained by an added number of motorists and an increase in impaired driving. The increase in crashes around daylight saving time happens because of a change in light and visibility and because drivers who deviate from their normal routine may be tired and may encounter unexpected obstacles on their journey home. As far as why there are more crashes on Friday the 13th, there is no clear answer, but studies have shown 13 percent more accidents on this superstitious day as compared with other days (even when Friday the 13th falls in different seasons, this pattern holds true).
Motorists need to be aware of these higher-risk times on the road so they can try to take steps to protect themselves. One thing you can do is try to stay off the roads if you can, especially at night when there are more likely to be people who have consumed alcohol at parties and other special events. You can also make a commitment to stay sober yourself so you do not add to the danger on the roads that occurs on these high-risk days.
Motorists who are driving on dangerous days should also be very careful to follow all safety rules and to observe what other motorists around them are doing. Drive assertively so you can try to protect yourself if other motorists make unsafe choices that put you and your passengers at risk of becoming involved in a motor vehicle accident.
If you were injured in a traffic collision, a Jonesboro personal injury lawyer can fight to protect your rights. Contact the McDaniel Law Firm at 1-855-524-4744 or visit www.mcdaniellawyers.com. Serving Northeast Arkansas including Jonesboro, Paragould, Craighead County, Lawrence County, Greene County, Mississippi County, Poinsett County and surrounding areas.
