Younger Drivers and Increased Summer Road Risks

With good reason, the summer period between Memorial Day and Labor Day has been called the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer” on our nation’s roads. The better visibility, drier surfaces, and extra daylight during the summertime do create safer driving conditions, but with a spike in the overall number of cars on the road comes an increased risk of accidents. Younger drivers that are out of school and on summer vacation account for a large percentage of those extra cars and drivers.

Keep Your Guard Up When You Are On The Road

Summertime motorists can adopt a few simple practices to lower their risk of an accident:

• Allow extra time to get to destinations and drive within posted speed limits.
• Give trucks and heavy vehicles more room on the roadway.
• Adjust for weather conditions.
• Stay focused on the road, and not on cell phones, radios, meals and drinks, and other distractions.
• Avoid driving if you are tired, or if you have consumed any alcoholic beverages.

Keep Your Car In Good Operating Condition

Keep your car in good operating condition to reduce your risk of a mechanical breakdown that might contribute to an accident:

• Check tire air pressure and change the engine oil after every 3,000 miles of driving.
• Have a mechanic verify that all hoses, the battery, and electrical connections are not worn down.
• Keep emergency tools in your car, including a flashlight and extra batteries, jumper cables, and first aid materials.
• Replace broken glass and non-working headlights and tail lamps.

Drive More Defensively In Heavier Summer Traffic

Defensive driving can put distance between your car and that of a reckless driver who might cause an accident.

Pay attention to the other drivers on the road. You will likely sense when a driver is not accustomed to driving in heavier traffic, or if a driver is lost or distracted. Use your own driving experience to spot careless driving by someone with less experience.

Plan for escape routes in case a driver in front of you stops suddenly.

Take alternate routes if the roads you normally use are suddenly more crowded with summer drivers.

Contact Chaffin Luhana When You Have Suffered Injuries in a Car Accident

You can still suffer injuries in a car accident in spite of all of the extra precautions you might take to adjust to heavy traffic and summer driving conditions. If you or a loved one is hurt in a crash, an auto accident attorney from our firm will be ready to aggressively represent you against the insurance companies that would rather downplay your injuries and withhold the full compensation that you deserve.