The 2013 holidays could be dangerous for Kansas and Missouri motorists
The holidays are traditionally a time for celebration, gathering with family and friends, and enjoying some of the fruits of a year’s hard work. Unfortunately, the holidays are also a time when tragedy is disproportionately likely to strike on the road.
Motor vehicle crashes are more likely to happen during the holiday season for a number of reasons. Knowing more about the problem can help you avoid a crash. But, if you do end up injured in a car accident this holiday season, or if you lose a family member on the roads, after-the-fact remedies may be available through legal action.
Certain holidays up to five times deadlier than the average day
Every year, Thanksgiving is one of the deadliest days on the road throughout the country. Over the long Thanksgiving weekend this year, from November 27 to December 1, two people were killed in car accidents in Kansas, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. In Missouri, the State Highway Patrol reported eight roadway fatalities over the same period. According to Robert Sinclair, a AAA spokesman, year after year there are up to five times as many traffic deaths on Thanksgiving Day than on a typical day.
The most significant reasons for the holiday increase in fatal auto accidents are traffic volume and alcohol consumption. Data from the Research and Innovative Technology Administration of the Department of Transportation indicates that approximately 90 percent of Americans travel by automobile to get to a Thanksgiving destination. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, from Thursday to Monday, the percentage of Americans who take a trip by automobile of more than 50 miles grows by 54 percent over normal numbers.
Holiday celebrations also tend to lead to some drivers overindulging when it comes to alcoholic beverages. Combined, the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Missouri Highway Patrol arrested approximately 160 people over the 2013 Thanksgiving weekend for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Thanksgiving is a holiday with particularly high rates of roadway deaths and injuries, but it is not the only one. The upcoming New Year’s and Christmas holidays, for instance, also mean more vehicles on the road and a higher number of drunk drivers.
Harmed in a Kansas or Missouri car accident? Get in touch with a personal injury lawyer
If you have been injured in a car accident this holiday season, or if you have tragically lost a loved one, you may be entitled to compensation from any at-fault parties or relevant insurers. No amount of money can ever replace a loved one or take away all the pain you had to suffer after being injured, but financial resources can help you get your life back on track in the aftermath of an automobile accident. Get in touch with a personal injury lawyer today to learn more about your right to compensation and to get your case underway.