Once fall begins, there are a flurry of holidays and occasions where you may find yourself behind the wheel of your vehicle on the road, traveling with the masses. When there’s a holiday, many people take to the roadways to travel to places where they spend time with loved ones or take quick vacations away from their homes.
Tips for Avoiding Seasonal Traffic Accidents
When the roads are heavy with traffic, there is heighten possibility you could be involved in a car crash. During holiday periods, the amount of congestion on roadways contributes to more rear-end collisions and fender benders. There are also more incidents of drunk driving related collisions during holiday periods.
If you’re hit from behind, you should stop immediately. Once you are safe, use the following checklist:
- Check yourself and those in your vehicle for injuries
- Call 911 immediately, especially if anyone requires medical attention
- If everyone is safe and not suffering from severe injury, request a medical report from authorities
- Exchange information with drivers and take pictures of the scene
- Seek medical attention at an urgent care facility, even if you feel fine as injuries may not be obvious
If you’ve been injured in a rear-end car crash, you need to contact a car crash attorney immediately. An attorney can intercede on your behalf to ensure your interests are protected.
How to Avoid Car Accident Injuries
The key to avoiding a car accident during the holiday season is taking precautions where possible. As a driver, you should always be aware of your surroundings, but this is doubly true when driving long distances during the holiday season. Fatal car crashes are more common during late evening and overnight hours, mostly from incidents of drunk driving and exhaustion. Something as simple as planning your travel during daylight hours can decrease the likelihood of a collision. Additionally, avoiding periods of travel on the day before a holiday or leaving immediately following can help to avoid the throngs of travels taking to the road at the same time.
What is the Most Common Type of Car Accident?
While holiday travel fatalities happen, most collisions are fender benders and rear end crashes. Rear end car crashes are the most common type of motor vehicle accident. About 29% of all crashes are rear end accidents and less than 10% of those are fatal. There are many causes of rear end collisions, but the most common is tailgating. If you were hit in a rear-end car crash, you are the victim. The rear driver is typically always the at-fault party in these types of crashes. There are some exceptions, such as reverse crashes and multi-car pileups. The severity of a real end collision varies depending on the rate of speed of both the lead vehicle and the rear automobile.
Other common causes of rear-end accidents include:
- Speeding
- Aggressive driving
- Drunk driving
- Texting and driving
- Multiple car collisions
Common Rear-End Accident Injuries
Rear-end accidents are less injurious than other types of car collisions, but that is not always the case. Drivers can experience severe injuries in high speed rear-end crashes. When the sustained speed of the approaching vehicle is high at impact, rear-end crashes can lead to serious neck, head, back, and spinal cord injuries.
Victims of high speed rear-end crashes can also experience:
- Arm and wrist injuries
- Facial Injuries
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Internal injuries
- Broken Bones
- Fractured Ribs
Call Douglas, Leonard & Garvey, P.C. to Schedule a Consultation Today!
At Douglas, Leonard & Garvey, P.C., our attorneys can help you seek compensation for injuries caused by an automobile crash. Our firm has over two decades of experience working with other clients who’ve been involved in similar types of cases. Contact us today at (603) 288-1403 to schedule a consultation.