As the holiday season is approaching, there are so many things to think about. Gifts to buy, parties to attend, food cook and more. One thing a lot of people might not spend a lot of time thinking about, however, is road safety during the holiday season. The holiday season is one of the deadliest times to be driving. If you need to travel during this upcoming season, here are a few of our tips to keep in mind to stay as safe as possible on the roads during this time.
Don’t Drive Impaired
One of the easiest ways to avoid getting in a car accident is to make sure you aren’t impaired by alcohol or drugs while driving. Since there are a lot of parties going on at this time of the year, it is not uncommon for people to get a little tipsy. Though celebrating isn’t a bad thing to do and can be a really fun way to unwind, driving while in this state is unacceptable. Call a friend or a driving service if you end up drinking at a party and need a ride home. To put it into context, in 2016, 10,497 people died in car accidents involving alcohol. Accidents involving alcohol can likely be classified as wrongful death, learn more about wrongful death here. If you are involved in an accident, your fault or not, a car accident lawyer can represent you.
Plan Ahead
Planning ahead can come in a lot of different forms. Let’s take bad weather for example. If you know it snowed last night and you have to be somewhere at a certain time, plan on leaving extra early. Give yourself time to clean the snow off your car and to drive slow on the roads. A lack of planning when it comes to weather can lead to not cleaning the snow off your car adequately (leaving blind spots), or driving recklessly and causing accidents. You can also plan ahead by making sure your tires are in good condition to drive in winter weather and that you have scrapers or brushes in your car. It is often the simpler things that make the biggest difference in safe driving.
Buckle Up
One big thing to keep in mind when driving during the holiday season is that even if you are following all the rules and driving safely, you can still get in an accident. Making sure your seat belt is on is the best way to stay safe if you do happen to get involved in a car accident. In fact, in Utah, wearing your seat belt is the law. It keeps you safe and all the others in your car safe. If you are involved in a car accident, whether it is your fault or not, contact a car accident lawyer for help. Car accident lawyers are experts at the process of car accidents and will help make sure you are properly represented in court. If you or someone you love has been or does get involved in a car accident this holiday season, contact our car accident lawyers here at Robert J. DeBry and Associates.