Common New Year’s Eve Accidents
New Year’s Eve is a magical time of the year. Unfortunately, it is also the time of increased auto accidents. Each year, millions of people drive out of town for the holiday season and all the festivities it brings along with it. This, as well as certain other factors, make this time of the year more dangerous on the highways. Listed below are some common causes of New Year’s Eve accidents and a few reminders of why you should be careful on the road, particularly during the holiday season:
Drunk Driving
Driving drunk can have severe consequences. It can usually result in auto accidents, causing personal injury, vehicle damage, or even death. Buzzed driving also falls in the same category. Many people consume alcohol during the holiday season, whether at a family gathering, an office party, or during an outing with friends, and then proceed to getting behind the wheel. This leads to increased drunk driving accidents or alcohol-impaired fatalities during this time of the year.
Pedestrian Accidents
Walking home drunk or intoxicated is also very common on New Year’s Eve. Many people who refuse to drive while drunk opt to walk home but this doesn’t make it any safer. In fact, a lot of pedestrian accidents during the holiday season occur because of this very reason. It’s not really surprising since the same impairment of judgement and motor skills that results from drunk driving makes walking while drunk/intoxicated equally as dangerous.
Speeding
On New Year’s Eve, the majority of people are in a rush to get to a family gathering, a party, religious services, etc., on time. No matter the reason, the urge to speed while on the road is very dangerous as it often leads to a traffic accident. Driving too fast can cause the driver to lose control of their vehicle. It also reduces the driver’s ability to react in time and avoid collisions or even fatal crashes.
Distracted Driving
During the holiday season, almost everyone is out shopping for gifts and sometimes, people are tempted to text or call family or friends while driving. This is very dangerous because distracted driving is one of the primary causes of road accidents, particularly on New Year’s Eve. Not only is the distraction on its own dangerous enough, the added stress of the holiday season further increases likelihood of crashes often resulting in aggressive driving, tailgating and speeding.
Drowsy Driving
Many people visit out-of-state or out-of-town friends or family during the holiday season. The problem is that people often overextend themselves and, since they are usually in a hurry, they try to drive too long distances without sufficient rest stops. This increases the risk of car accident because the longer you drive without taking a break, the more susceptible you are to drowsy driving. And just like drunk driving, drowsy driving is very dangerous.
These are some of the common causes of New Year’s Eve accidents. It is highly recommended that you make driving safety a priority. Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are, you can never completely eliminate the risk of being injured in a road accident, because you cannot control the behavior of other drivers on the highway. If you are involved in a vehicular collision caused by a reckless or careless driver, be sure to contact an experienced auto accident attorney at Hilton & Somer, LLC to protect your rights.
Hilton & Somer, LLC: Auto Accident Attorneys located in Fairfax and licensed to practice in Virginia, Maryland and in the District of Columbia
If you were involved in a car accident because of the negligence of an impaired driver, contact the experienced Motor Vehicle Accident Attorneys at Hilton & Somer, LLC. Call us now for a free consultation (703) 560-0700. All cases are handled on a contingency basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we are successful.
References
https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/holidays/new-years-day/
https://safer-america.com/study-national-fatal-crashes-on-new-years-eve/
https://www.abc15.com/news/national/drunk-driving-statistics-new-years-eve
