The summer vacation season brings a significant increase in traffic on roads and highways across the country. Families embark on road trips, tourists visit popular destinations, and the overall volume of vehicles on the road spikes. This surge in traffic can lead to a higher incidence of car accidents, presenting both dangers and legal implications for all those involved. Understanding the causes of increased traffic and implementing safety measures can help drivers navigate the summer months more safely.
Causes of Increased Traffic During Summer
Tourism and Vacation Travel: Summer is the peak travel season for most families and individuals to take vacations. With warm weather and summer break summer is the most popular time of the year for people to visit popular tourist destinations. With this increase in tourism vacation destinations are likely to see a substantial influx of visitors, resulting in much more congested roads and highways.
School Breaks: With schools being out for summer break, more families are on the move. Parents are more likely to take time off of work to travel with their children which can directly contribute to an increase in traffic.
Holiday Weekends: Memorial day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day weekends are notorious for increasing the amount of traffic on the road, as the vast majority of people try to take advantage of the long weekends to travel.
Construction Projects: Summer is the prime time for road projections and maintenance due to the decreased chances of inclement weather. This can lead to lane closures and detours that can cause traffic bottlenecks and increase the risk of getting into an accident.
The Impact on Car Accidents:
- Increased Collision Rates: The sheer volume of any vehicles on the road increases the likelihood of collisions. More cars mean more opportunities for accidents to occur particularly in high traffic areas.
- Distracted Driving: With more people on the road, drivers are often more distracted. Whether it is sightseeing tourists or families with children, distractions can lead to accidents.
- Fatigue and Long Drives: Long road trips can result in driver fatigue, a significant factor in many car accidents. Tired drivers have slower reaction times and are more likely to make errors.
- Weather Conditions: Summer weather can be unpredictable. Sudden rain storms can make roads slippery, while extreme heat can cause tire blowouts and other vehicle issues.
Safety Tips for Summer Traffic
- Plan Your Route: Before you set out on your trip, plan your route in order to avoid well known construction zones and high-traffic areas. Utilize GPS apps that provide you with real-time updates as well as alternative routes that may be faster.
- Avoid Peak Travel Times: If possible, avoid traveling during peak times in the day. The most popular times of travel are during Friday afternoons, holiday weekends, as well as during rush hours (before 9 a.m and after 5 p.m). Traveling during off hours of traffic can help you avoid the most dense traffic times.
- Stay Alert: When you are behind the wheel it is crucial that you keep distractions to a minimum. To do this, avoid using your phone while driving to help maintain your focus on the road, and pass on any tasks like changing the music or setting directions to a passenger in the vehicle if possible. If you are traveling with any children, make sure that they are buckled properly and are safely occupied to minimize any distractions that may come from them.
- Take Breaks: On long trips, take regular breaks to rest. Fatigue can be just as dangerous as drunk driving, and if you are too tired to focus on the road you could cause a car accident. To help avoid this try stopping every couple of hours or every 100-200 miles in order to stretch and refresh yourself. Doing this can keep you alert and ready to keep driving.
- Maintain Your Vehicle: Ensure that your vehicle is in good working condition. This means that before you leave you should check and make sure that your tires are properly inflated, your brakes are working as they should, and all fluid levels are correct. A well maintained car is much less likely to experience any breakdowns or run into any other issues that can lead to an accident.
- Follow Traffic Laws: Traffic laws are created for a reason and it is to keep you safe. On long drives or if you are dealing with traffic you may feel an itch to speed or drive aggressively to get to your destination faster. The Salt Lake City car accident lawyers at LifeLaw strongly advise that you adhere to all traffic laws. Try your best to follow the speed limit, use your blinkers, and keep a safe following distance between you and other drivers. Aggressive driving and speeding are two of the main causes for car accidents, especially in congested traffic.
Legal Considerations
With increased traffic in the summer months that means that there is a much higher chance that you are involved in a car accident. Coming from your Salt Lake City car accident lawyers here are the steps you need to take after a car accident:
Document the Scene: Your personal injury claim is dependent on the evidence that is presented to an insurance company. This means that gathering evidence is key. If it is safe to do so try and take as many photos of the accident scene as possible. Try to get pictures of property damage done to your car and any other vehicles involved as well as the condition of the roads where the accident occurred. Make sure that you gather any witness statements of anyone who saw the accident, as well as the contact information from all of the parties involved.
Seek Medical Attention: Even if you feel fine after the accident it is crucial that you seek medical attention immediately. A medical professional will be able to give you a medical evaluation that can often reveal injuries that you may not have noticed. Medical notes and treatment also make up crucial evidence to your personal injury case.
Contact a Salt Lake City Car Accident Lawyer: Navigating the legal aftermath of a car accident can be extremely complex. Insurance companies will try their hardest to undercut and undervalue your claim every step of the way and can take advantage of you if you are not sure what to do. This is why contacting a skilled Salt Lake City car accident lawyer is crucial. Your car accident attorney will fight tirelessly for you and will make sure you understand your rights, negotiate with insurance companies on your behavior, and make sure that you get the compensation that you deserve for your injuries and damages.
Summer vacation is supposed to be a time to relax, unwind, and spend time with your family and friends. While summer does bring massive surges in traffic that can greatly increase the likelihood of getting into a car accident, you can keep yourself safe by understanding what you can do to navigate these roads safely. If you or someone you know was injured in. a car accident, make sure that you contact the Salt Lake City car accident lawyers at LifeLaw Personal Injury today. Our team of attorneys have a passion for fighting for your rights, we will work tirelessly to ensure that you receive the compensation that you deserve. If you have been injured by the negligence of someone else you do not have to suffer, give us a call today for a free consultation and to discuss your options further.