The Labor Day holiday is considered the unofficial end of summer, and as readers of the Cincinnati Car Accident Law blog may remember, is also considered the end of the deadliest days of summer. The hundred days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are considered the 100 deadliest days of the year because of the number of car crashes that take place on the roadways during this period.
In Ohio, on the Labor Day weekend alone there were 11 fatalities in car accidents, bringing the total of deaths in accidents to 751 so far this year. This represents an 18 percent increase in fatalities from the same time last year, according to a spokesperson of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. These statistics are not the best way to kick off Safe Driving Awareness Month, designated as September by a state senate bill and signed into effect by the governor of Ohio in June 2014.
According to the spokesperson, most fatal crashes have one common factor: a bad decision. Bad decisions made by one person could include driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding or even driving while distracted. During Safe Driving Awareness Month, state troopers are trying to promote safe driving habits and remind drivers that it is up to them to keep the roads safe. 2013 was, so far, the safest year for drivers in the state, but the number of fatalities has begun to creep up again and state troopers don’t want to see that happen.
Bad decisions made in a split second often end up costing people their lives. Though nothing can bring back someone who died in a car accident, a personal injury claim can be one way to not only hold the careless driver accountable for his or her actions but also to deter other drivers from engaging in similar careless behavior.
Source: Dayton daily News, “11 motorists die on Ohio roadways over Labor Day weekend,” ChelseyLevingston, Sept. 8, 2015