Thanksgiving above all other holidays during the year prompts Americans to travel. The American Automobile Association, or AAA, tracks travel data. AAA estimates that nearly 50 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for Thanksgiving this year. Nearly 90 percent of these travelers will be driving or riding in a vehicle. More than 3 million people will be driving or riding somewhere for Thanksgiving in Southern California alone. There are several reasons for people deciding to hit the road for Thanksgiving. This is a four-day weekend that provides an opportunity to relax with family and friends. Unfortunately, this type of traffic volume also leads to a high number of Thanksgiving car accidents. Below you’ll find some statistics relating to these crashes as well as some suggestions for avoiding them.
AAA is not the only organization that releases estimates relating to Thanksgiving travel. The National Safety Council, or NSC, also puts out estimates regarding Thanksgiving car accidents on an annual basis. They do so because these crashes are so prevalent. The San Diego car accident lawyers at Gomez Trial Attorneys would also like to raise the awareness levels regarding dangers on the road during the Thanksgiving weekend. As such, we’re going to share those estimates below.
The NSC measures Thanksgiving weekend in terms of time as a holiday that lasts for 4.25 days. It begins at 6 p.m. on the day before Thanksgiving and extends until 11:59 p.m. on the Sunday following the actual holiday. The NSC then uses three variables to complete its Thanksgiving car accidents estimate:
Those interested in reading the entire breakdown can find it here. In general, these estimates have proven to be quite accurate in the past. The NSC places its confidence level with regards to these estimates at 90 percent. Based on all of these factors, the NSC estimates that 437 people will die in Thanksgiving car accidents over the holiday weekend. In addition, 50,300 people will suffer nonfatal injuries. This estimate is higher than it was last year. That makes sense, as AAA has also estimated that 2016 will be the biggest travel year over Thanksgiving since 2007.
There is a lot to remember for people who will be traveling over Thanksgiving weekend. People who will be driving should consider taking a bit of time to consider some suggestions for avoiding Thanksgiving car accidents. These few minutes of planning could make the difference between getting into a crash and arriving at a destination safely and without incident. A few of these suggestions include:
Thanksgiving weekend should be a time of joy, reflection and relaxation. It’s an opportunity to take a step back from the daily grind and remember the things for which we are all thankful. It is also a time for caution for all of those people who will be traveling. Despite all the precautions people will be taking in an effort to drive safely, the fact of the matter is that some people will still be involved in Thanksgiving car accidents. If this includes you or someone you love, take steps to protect your legal rights. Contact a San Diego car accident lawyer at Gomez Trial Attorneys as soon as possible to schedule a free initial consultation.
John Gomez founded the firm alone in 2005. Today, John acts as President and Lead Trial Attorney. He has been voted by his peers as a top ten San Diego litigator in three separate fields: Personal Injury, Insurance and Corporate Litigation. Since 2000, he has recovered over $800 million in settlements and verdicts for his clients with more than 160 separate recoveries of one million dollars or more. A prolific trial lawyer, John has tried to jury verdict more than 60 separate cases.
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