The winter holidays tend to bring people together – but they also bring a yearly uptick in the number of traffic accidents, many of them serious.
Whether you plan to brave the highway to visit relatives this Thanksgiving or just need to get across town to get some Christmas shopping done, it’s important to be cognizant of the seasonal risks. Here are some of the most common dangers:
1. More inebriated drivers
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s celebrations tend to involve a lot of booze. Between the annual “Drunksgiving” on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve, there are a lot more accidents involving drunk drivers. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicates that December drunk driving deaths are the highest they’ve been in years.
2. Higher traffic volume
The ebb and flow of traffic in your local area is probably pretty steady and familiar to you – except right now. Between special seasonal events, holiday shopping and trips to visit friends or family, there are just a lot more vehicles out there on the road right now – at all hours of the day and night. This increased volume and unexpected changes in the usual traffic patterns can cause drivers a lot more stress and leave them distracted, and that can ultimately lead to accidents.
3. Out-of-towners
Whether they’re coming into town for a special event, looking for holiday deals in the stores or visiting relatives, Cincinnati sees a steady influx of drivers from outside the area – and most of them don’t know the roads very well. Others are simply fatigued from their travels. In either situation, that makes them more prone to mistakes behind the wheel.
4. More delivery vehicles
Online shopping is a big deal during the holiday season, and delivery trucks are everywhere. Unfortunately, many of those truck drivers are being pushed to the limits of their endurance. Exhausted delivery drivers who are trying to focus on their GPS and find house numbers in strange neighborhoods are a real risk to everyone’s safety, especially in residential areas.
5. Unpredictable weather
Ohio weather is notoriously unpredictable – sometimes from hour to hour. Ice, sleet and snow can be a serious issue if you’re stuck on the road when a storm starts, and not every driver knows enough to slow down and give other vehicles plenty of space when driving conditions turn treacherous.
Accidents can and will happen – even during the merriest times of the year. If you’re injured in a wreck due to another party’s negligence, prioritize your health and safety above all else. Call 911 and get checked out by a doctor before you do anything else. It’s always wisest, however, to seek informed legal guidance before you speak with an insurance company about your claim.
