If you are planning to do some shopping for the holidays or if you are traveling to visit family this December, you should be aware that you are likely to face busy roads and aggressive drivers. The holidays are a stressful time for many people with so much to get done, and a new study from State Farm indicates that 32 percent of all drivers are more likely to become aggressive due to the tension. Parents and drivers age 49 and younger are the groups most likely to become angry behind the wheel because of holiday stress.
Protecting yourself from drivers with road rage and anger issues is really important, and it is equally important for you to avoid becoming one of those drivers yourself. An experienced auto accident lawyer in Knoxville knows that the period of time between Thanksgiving and New Years is one of the most dangerous driving times of the year. Drivers need to make smart choices to stay safe over the holidays.
Holiday Driving Risks
Some of the highest risk days on the road have traditionally been New Years Eve and the days surrounding Thanksgiving weekend. These days come with a higher risk of traffic crashes both because of an increase in the number of motorists on the road and because many people have too many drinks around Thanksgiving or on New Years Eve and then proceed to drive while they are intoxicated.
A new study that reviewed 10 years of traffic data, however, now suggests that there is a time when drivers need to be even more careful. The six days surrounding the 25th of December are being described as one of the most dangerous of all time periods on the roads. These six days have 18 percent more accidents than the Thanksgiving holiday and 27 percent more accidents than the number that occur on New Years Day.
The accidents around December 25th are not evenly distributed either. The Friday before people celebrate the Christmas holiday is likely to be the worst in 2013 because there will be commuters on the road at the same time as people are traveling to see their families or completing their last-minute shopping and errands. However, the Washington Post reports that both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are likely to see fewer people on the roads and should be a safer time to travel. This is especially true later in the day on December 24th after many of the stores have closed for the day and people have gone home.
The added number of drivers on the road coupled with the fact that so many motorists report being stressed and angry is bad news at a time when around 12 percent of drivers responded to a poll saying that they experienced road rage fairly frequently and around 21 percent of motorists said they felt hostility to their fellow drivers. The high-stress holidays make this work and people may become angry or distracted and cut off other drivers or otherwise do dangerous things.
Protecting yourself from the risk of accidents during this time is important. You should be sure to keep a hold on your temper when driving, to travel the speed limit, to try to avoid rush hour when the roads will be busiest, and to be alert and watchful of what drivers around you are doing.
If you are injured, auto accident lawyers in Knoxville, TN can help. Contact G. Turner Howard III, Attorney at Law at (844) G3-Help-Me or 865-558-8030.
