Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday for visiting family, but it’s important to remember that you are not the only one who wants to spend the long weekend catching up with loved ones. In fact, so many people visit relatives on and around Thanksgiving that it has become the deadliest holiday for road travel. According to Forbes, an average of 567 people have died in motor vehicle collisions on Thanksgiving Day every year since 1982
The only guaranteed way to avoid getting into an collision on Turkey Day is to avoid driving altogether; however, this may not be an option for you. Fortunately, there are at least a few ways to reduce the risk of causing a crash in holiday traffic.
Of course, even if you take all necessary precautions to avoid causing a wreck, you have no control over the other motorists around you. If you sustained injuries in an accident with a drunk or distracted driver, you have every right to hold him or her financially liable for the damages you incurred.
Contact the Law Office of George R. Fusner Jr. to discuss the circumstances of your case and determine the best way to proceed. Mr. Fusner is a Nashville lawyer with over 40 years of experience and will personally handle the legal aspects of your case so you can focus on recovering from your injuries. Call 615-251-0005 or 800-427-8960 to schedule a free case evaluation.
Read on to learn how you can avoid getting into a motor vehicle collision over Thanksgiving weekend:
- Avoid Holiday Traffic
The Travel Channel reports that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after it are the busiest days of the holiday weekend for travel. If you can avoid driving at all on these days, stay off the roads. Otherwise, try to plan your route around rush hour so you can avoid the worst of the traffic.
- Adjust Your Speed for the Road Conditions
The speed limit might be 70 mph on a particular stretch of highway, but where there is heavy congestion, you have no choice but to slow down accordingly. If you are speeding, you will have less time to respond to a hazard in the road, making a collision that much more likely.
- Stay off Your Phone
This may be an obvious tip, but texting while driving is so prevalent that it is worth repeating. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 660,000 motorists are using electronic devices while behind the wheel at any give time of day.
Of course, texting is not the only culprit when it comes to distracted driving. You should also avoid eating, applying makeup, and adjusting the navigation system while in the driver’s seat.
- Wear Your Seat Belt
Wearing a seat belt may not actually help you avoid a collision, but it can help you avoid serious injuries should a wreck occur. Putting on your seat belt should be an automatic reflex every time you get in the car, regardless of who is driving.
Sadly, you can follow the above tips and still end up in a collision that causes injuries. If you were hurt in a crash that was not your fault, contact the Law Office of George R. Fusner Jr.
Call 615-251-0005 or 800-427-8960 to schedule a free consultation with a personal injury attorney in Nashville. If you want to learn more about car accident claims in Tennessee, visit usattorneys.com/car-accident/tennessee.
