Holidays generally mean an influx of vehicles on the road as people travel to see family and friends, vacation, or attend events and parties. This increase in travel also means an increase in traffic congestion, roadway hazards, and ultimately, more accidents. Traffic spikes, combined with partying, drunk driving, and bad decisions all contribute to more dangerous road conditions for the average driver.
According to AAA, Memorial Day weekend is one of the top holiday weekends for travel, with more than 36 million Americans hitting the road each year. Falling on the last weekend in May, the somber holiday has become a three-day welcoming of summer; full of parties, parades, and festivities, which include much drinking.
In a three-year analytical report that compared National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics for each national holiday from 2019 to 2021, researchers found that Memorial Day tops the list as the most dangerous holiday to drive. Over the four-day holiday weekend, there was an annual average of 1,343 auto accidents with 448 fatalities, attributing 20.8% to all holiday crashes over the course of the year.
Tips to Celebrate Memorial Day Safely:
- If you expect to drink, make plans for a safe way to get home before heading out
- Beat the traffic rush by leaving early in the morning or a day earlier
- Leave three seconds of space when following behind other vehicles
- Make frequent stops and use multiple drivers if necessary
- Don’t let friends drive impaired or under the influence
- If you see a drunk driver on the road, safely pull over and call 911
Following the laws of the roadway and practicing responsible driving is always the best way to avoid car accidents during any time of the year. If you are involved in a car accident during the upcoming holidays, be sure to contact a California car accident attorney as quickly as possible to review your situation and develop your case.
Our personal injury attorneys at Bostwick & Peterson have decades of experience protecting victims of serious auto accidents in California. Contact us today for a free consultation to help you get started on the road to recovery.
