Labor Day weekend is traditionally seen as the annual “end” of summer season, and people all across the country celebrate the occasion with a variety of activities. Boosted by the fact that Labor Day is a three-day weekend, people may choose to take a small vacation, celebrate with friends, or simply just spend the day out somewhere.
What this means is that Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest road travel weekends of the year and simultaneously one of the most dangerous weekends to drive. Each year, dozens of people are killed as a result of fatal collisions and thousands more suffer potentially serious injuries from the dramatically increased number of hazards on the busy roads around the country.
Labor Day Driving Statistics
Just how dangerous are the roads over Labor Day weekend? The numbers are alarming and sobering in many ways. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident over Labor Day weekend than normal, and that number only appears to be rising. The National Safety Council estimates that motor vehicle accidents are happening at their highest rates since 2008, and they don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
One of the major causes of this sharp increase in fatalities is the massive rise in alcohol consumption on Labor Day weekend. As with most three-day weekends, people choose to mark the occasion with a drink of their choice, and far too many then proceed to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. The US DOT estimates that 45 percent of all fatal accidents that have occurred over Labor Day weekend since 1982 have been caused by drunk drivers.
In total, the National Safety Council is estimating that more than 400 fatalities and 49,000 injuries will occur across the country over Labor Day weekend, with the majority of these instances occurring in major urban centers and high-traffic regions such as Los Angeles.
Stay Safe—Follow These Tips
So what can you do to keep yourself and your family safe while traveling the roads this holiday weekend? Our Los Angeles car accident lawyers have a few tips you can follow to increase your own safety and avoid a potentially devastating accident.
Don’t Drive Drunk
Drunk driving is extraordinarily dangerous, dramatically increasing the chances of an accident and serious injuries. Drunk drivers have been shown time and time again to be significantly more likely to be unable to react to changing road conditions as quickly as necessary, which makes them a danger to themselves and everyone around them. Make sure you know your limit and stay within it, as well as wait several hours after consuming your last alcoholic beverage before you get behind the wheel to ensure you’re truly fit to drive.
Drunk driving is also illegal, and law enforcement step up their presence on the roads during Labor Day weekend to try and crack down on drunk drivers, keeping them off the road for good. If you want to avoid penalties such as jail time, large fines, license suspension, and much more, make sure you plan ahead and either travel with someone who won’t be drinking or arrange to get a ride home so you won’t have to get behind the wheel while intoxicated.
Don’t Drive Tired
Fatigued driving is extremely similar to drunk driving in the effects it can have on your ability. In fact, some studies suggest that fatigue is just as much, if not more inhibiting than alcohol intoxication. Falling asleep at the wheel also causes an immense number of car accidents and injuries each year, so always make sure you plan on either having a safe ride home if you know you’re going to be out safe, or call someone to come get you.
Stay Alert of Other Drivers
There are some pretty easy-to-spot ways of determining if a driver around you is drunk. If you notice that someone is weaving back and forth within their lane, speeding up or slowing down erratically, or driving significantly slower than the rest of traffic around them, odds are they’re probably not in the right state of mind, usually because of intoxication. Give these drivers a wide berth and pass them quickly to get away from them as much as possible. Do your best to never get directly in front of these drivers—you never know when they may not respond to changing road conditions and rear-end you.
If you suffer an injury over this holiday weekend, talk to the team at Biren Law Group by calling (310) 896-4345 and request a consultation to discuss your legal options.