Personal injury lawyer provides safe driving tips for 40 million Americans hitting the road this Thanksgiving holiday

For many of us, Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season and a time to spend with family and friends. AAA Travel projects that 46.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving weekend, many to visit to family.

90% of those travelers, or 41.3 million people will travel by automobile. This is a 4.2% increase over last year, and the highest volume of holiday travelers since 2007. This is due in part to the lowest gas prices we’ve seen in years. According to AAA, the national price of gas has fallen below $3.00 per gallon for the first time since December 2010.

With this increase in traffic, we could also see an increase in accidents. According to an article in the Ohio Journal News, Thanksgiving is usually one of the deadliest holidays of the year. Contributing to an increase in crashes over the Thanksgiving holiday are driving under the influence, speeding and other hazardous driving, as well as bad weather conditions.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol told the Journal News that alcohol consumption over the holiday increases the risk of accidents, and the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is a very busy night for police with alcohol and DUI issues. A drop in temperature and predicted precipitation could also increase the risk of accidents over the Thanksgiving holiday.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), Thanksgiving is the second most dangerous holiday for driving. The NSC estimates 418 traffic fatalities over the Thanksgiving holiday this year.

A press release issued by Alcohol Monitoring Systems (AMS), a leading provider of alcohol testing technologies for law enforcement, shows alarming numbers in alcohol-related highway deaths. During the holidays, 2 to 3X more people die in alcohol-related crashes. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, 40% of highway deaths are alcohol related.

AMS refers to the Wednesday before Thanksgiving as “Blackout Wednesday,” reporting that is has become the top drunk driving night of the year in some jurisdictions.

What can you do to stay safe when driving this holiday season? Here are some tips from the Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys.

• Do Not Drink and Drive. If you plan on drinking, appoint a designated driver.
• Wear a seat belt at all times. Studies have shown that seat belts, when used properly, are 45% effective in preventing fatalities among front-seat passenger car occupants.
• Do not speed or tailgate another vehicle.
• Observe caution when driving through work zones, changing lanes, or in bad weather conditions.
• Pay attention to the road at all time. Refrain from distractions, including cell phones and all other types of electronic devices.
• Make sure you are well rested and stop for frequent breaks during long trips.
• Allow plenty of time to get to your destination.
• Check the weather forecast before leaving, and adjust your schedule accordingly.

The family of personal injury lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys wish you and your family a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday. For more information on Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, visit www.munley.com.