How You Can Prevent Them This Thanksgiving

 The Thanksgiving weekend is considered one of the deadliest periods of the year when it comes to car accidents. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, nearly 51 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home this Thanksgiving, up 3.3 percent from last year. The bulk of those traveling use our roads, with AAA projecting that almost 90 percent of travelers, or 45.5 million, are planning a Thanksgiving road trip, up 3.2 percent from last year.

During this holiday time, it is important to know the most common factors that lead to car accidents so they can be avoided. Here are the five most common causes of car accidents, and how you can stop yourself or a loved one from being involved in one this Thanksgiving.
1. Impaired Driving
The Department of Transportation is already warning the public that the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is now a big night for bars and is associated with increased alcohol consumption. From 2012 to 2016, more than 800 people died in drunken driving-related crashes during the Thanksgiving period (6 p.m. Wednesday to 5:59 a.m. Monday). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and its partners are running a social media campaign to remind Americans of the dangers of drinking and driving and urging them to plan ahead and use a designated driver or public transportation, taxi or ridesharing services, etc.
2. Drowsy Driving
Nearly 7 percent of all car accidents and 21 percent of all fatal car accidents nationwide, happen to drowsy drivers. Researchers say these accidents occur not just because people are not getting enough rest before they get behind the wheel, but because drivers are often not good judges of how sleepy they are. Recent surveys find that 37 percent of all drivers have fallen asleep while driving at least once in their lives, 11 percent during the last year and 4 percent during the last month. This Thanksgiving, if you have had less than seven hours of sleep please do not start on a nighttime drive.
3. Loss of Vehicle Control
Loss of vehicle control is responsible for 11 percent of all car accidents, according to studies. There are a number of reasons vehicles go out of control. But, some of the most common causes of loss of vehicle control include driving at an excessive rate of speed, when another driver suddenly turns in front of you, when drivers maneuver their vehicles aggressively, take a sharp curve too fast, etc. When you drive, it is important to take a number of factors into consideration such as the weather, condition of the roadway, traffic situation and so on. Drivers who are more aware of their environment and take safety measures are less likely to lose control of their vehicles.
4. Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a serious issue on our roadways, whether it’s during the holiday season or during other times of the year. Distracted driving claimed 3,477 lives in 2015 alone. When a driver is distracted, it may lead to head-on collisions, rear-end accidents or a crash caused by the motorist leaving his or her lane. Distraction doesn’t just involve talking on your cell phone or texting. It also includes other activities from eating, drinking and grooming to talking to a passenger or fiddling with your radio or GPS. The solution is to temporarily set aside all such activities and focus on the task of driving.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, or if you have lost a loved one in a rear-end crash caused by a distracted and negligent driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For over 46 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com