Many people are planning car trips to visit Massachusetts friends and family for the upcoming holidays. Thanksgiving and the days around it can be a popular time for large meals, heavy drinking, and extra shopping. With all of the car traffic, there are often a lot of crashes during this period of the year.
Grim car accident forecast for Thanksgiving weekend
The National Safety Council considers Thanksgiving weekend to be the period between 6 p.m. on Wednesday before the holiday until midnight on Sunday after the holiday.
After looking at trends from prior Thanksgiving weekends, the NSC estimated that there are likely to be around 515 car accident fatalities this Thanksgiving weekend. The NSC also predicts that around 58,800 people will experience car accident injuries that require medical attention.
How we can prevent car accidents this Thanksgiving
The grim forecast from the NSC does not have to come true this year. If drivers are cognizant of the risks of driving this holiday season, we can prevent the usual accidents that occur around Thanksgiving. It’s important to remember that a lot of cars will be on the road and fall weather conditions could create visibility issues.
One of the best ways to avoid crashes and personal injury claims around Thanksgiving is to never drive while intoxicated. According to statistics from past years, 29% of the car accident fatalities that happen during Thanksgiving weekend involve drunk drivers. Another way to stay safe this Thanksgiving weekend is to always wear your seat belt. Seat belts have been shown to reduce the chance of car accident fatalities among front-seat passengers by 45%.
Plan ahead so you can stay off the roads
You may be able to reduce the time you spend on roads this Thanksgiving weekend by remembering to plan ahead. Write careful lists and do most of your shopping a couple of days before the holiday so that you can avoid heavy traffic.