6 Driving Behaviors to be On the Lookout For this Holiday Season

This month, there will be an increase in cars on the road due to parties, events, and family visits.  There will also be an increase in trucks and commercial vehicles making deliveries for the holiday season.  This means that there will be an increase in car and truck accidents.  ​The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted research from 1982 to 2018 and found that due to increased travel time, more alcohol use, and excessive driving speed, there are more fatal car accidents during the holidays[1] compared to other times of the year.  You can prevent a car accident and keep you and your family safe with these tips:

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1. Watch for impaired drivers.   Is the car ahead of you drifting from side to side for no apparent reason?  Is the car driving very slowly?  Alcohol and drugs impair a driver’s judgment, coordination, and the ability to safely drive a car.  If you see a car drifting from side to side, try to put as much distance between you and that vehicle. 
2. Be aware of impatient drivers.  Is the car behind you riding on your bumper?  You’ll wish that driver packed his patience along with his suitcase.  If it is safe to do so, change lanes to allow the impatient driver to pass. 
3. Stay alert for out-of-town visitors.  There can be a lot of traffic during this time of the year due to people visiting from other places.  They are driving on unfamiliar roads and may not understand the local traffic patterns.  Be sure to give these drivers space as they often make sudden movements to change lanes for an exit or make sudden turns. 
4. Recognize distracted drivers.  Is the driver of the car next to you only looking down?  Too many drivers are distracted by their cell phones and are not paying attention.  Give these drivers as much space as you can by changing lanes or slowing down to put distance between you.
5. Avoid aggressive drivers.  Do you see a car speeding down the road, swerving between cars narrowly missing them, and only accelerating its speed?  Try to avoid these drivers as best you can.  The greater the speed of the vehicle, the greater the likelihood of a crash.  The severity of the crash also increases.
6. Look for unsafe vehicles near you.  Do you see a wood board sticking out from a truck bed without a red flag attached to it to alert you?  Is a piece of tire loose on that tractor trailer?  Too often pieces of debris fly off vehicles and create a dangerous situation.  Make sure to put as much distance between you and an unsafe vehicle as possible. 

 
Serious injury or death from a car or truck accident cannot always be avoided due to other people’s negligence, even using the best defensive driving strategies.  If you are involved in a car or truck accident, contact the Simpson-Cannon Law Firm, P.A. today at 561-721-6255.  For more on what to expect in the days and weeks following a car accident, visit our blog What Can I Expect After A Car Accident?.

[1] The study examined five major holidays:  Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.