Expect More Accidents Over the Holidays

Car wrecks in Texas increase by 20% during the holiday season.

According to recent data, there are more car crashes in Texas over the holiday season than there are at any other time of the year. Keep safe by staying alert of other drivers, and know what to do if you are involved in an accident.

The increase in car crashes rises most significantly from December 24th-25th, carries over throughout the month of December, and peaks again (even more significantly) late New Years Eve night/early New Years Day. Last year in Texas alone, there were 69 traffic fatalities during just the six days surrounding Christmas and New Years.

There are a few reasons that car accidents spike in December, one being the increase in people traveling by car. With 30% of Americans expected to travel this month (and 91% of all trips being taken by automobile), December statistically sees more cars on the roads than at other times of the year. Many of these drivers are traveling out of state, and may not be familiar with the area or how to safely drive in ice and snow.

Beware of drunk drivers.

By far the most-significant factor in why December sees so many more auto accidents is the increase in the number of drunk drivers on the road. In fact, around 40% of all traffic fatalities during the Christmas holiday period involve at least one drunk driver. On New Years, that number jumps to almost 50%.

When celebrating the holidays this year, please plan ahead. If you're having anything to drink at all, please designate a sober driver. Not only can drinking and driving lead to serious criminal charges (and remember that Christmas and New Years are "no-refusal" periods), but more importantly, it can lead to a serious car accident. Families are often traveling together at this time, so please think twice about the consequences before getting behind the wheel after a couple glasses of wine.

Avoiding the accident.

Dallas certainly isn't prone to the same type of extremely harsh holiday whether that you would see in other areas of the nation, but the weather can be bad enough to make driving challenging at times. In addition to this, Dallas has a very large population. When traffic increases, the roads become crowded in a way that makes certain types of accidents more likely to happen.

Before you head out for a holiday road trip, it's important to do some winter maintenance. Winterize your car by checking your tires, brakes, and fluid levels. Tire pressure is key, as under-inflated tires (which often happens in cold weather) contribute to more than 33,000 injuries and over 600 fatalities every year.

While you're winterizing your car, take a couple of minutes to prepare an emergency car kit. Be sure to include working road flares, a first-aid kit, bottled water, and a warm blanket.

Darkness comes much earlier this time of year, and that provides another hazard. Remember to be wary of pedestrians after dark and exercise extra caution if the road conditions change. Remember that a sudden drop in temperature at night may mean that moisture already on the road during the day can freeze, creating black ice, which is a significant hazard for drivers (and even pedestrians).

If you become involved in an accident.

If another driver causes an accident that left you injured, be sure to contact Rasansky Law Firm as soon as possible. Our Dallas car accident lawyers can help you go after that driver in order to help pay for any medical costs that you incurred due to the crash, as well as compensate you for any other losses you suffered as a result (lost wages, disfigurement, etc).