Driving Safe This Thanksgiving!

This month, millions of Americans are getting ready to make their way across the US for their annual Turkey Day feast. And, according to auto club AAA, an overwhelming majority of them (90%), will get to their destination via car.

Thanksgiving is usually one of the year’s deadliest weeks for traffic crashes. Between navigating unfamiliar roads, driving late at night or after having a few drinks, and the sheer fact that when traffic volume goes up, car crash numbers generally go up as well, it’s extremely important to drive safe and be careful over this long weekend (and throughout the entire holiday season). In fact, though many people believe that New Year’s Eve is the night when most drunk driving accidents occur, but they are wrong. Thanksgiving is the holiday that statistically has the largest number of drunk driving fatalities – and it’s by a landslide.

The Red Cross put together a great list of recommendations to help Thanksgiving travelers arrive safely at their destinations. Their list pretty much covers it all, so we thought we should share:

  • Make sure your vehicle is in good working order.
  • Start out with a full tank of gas, check the tire air pressure and make sure the windshield fluid is full.
  • Buckle up, slow down, don’t drive impaired. Designate a driver who won’t drink.
  • Be well rested and stay alert.
  • Use caution in work zones.
  • Avoid distractions such as cell phones
  • Observe speed limits.
  • Make frequent stops. During long trips, rotate drivers.
  • Be respectful of motorists and follow the rules of the road.
  • Don’t follow another vehicle too closely.
  • Clean the vehicle’s headlights, taillights, signal lights, and windows.
  • Turn your headlights on as disk approaches.
  • Don’t overdrive your headlights.
  • If car trouble develops, pull off the road as far as possible.

See, we told you the folks at the Red Cross really covered it all. We mean it though when we say that these are all great tips and if you’re planning a road trip for Thanksgiving, you should follow them.

At Alvin H. Broome and Associates, we want to wish all of you a very happy and safe Thanksgiving. We also are aware, however, that no matter how careful you are, accidents still do happen. If you or someone you know has been injured or if you have lost a loved one in a car accident that may have been the fault of another driver’s negligence (over Thanksgiving or any time of the year), you may be eligible for compensation. Contact the NYC law offices of Alvin H. Broome and Associates to discuss your case with us. We are here to help you.