You are probably looking forward to a well-earned day off from work this Memorial Day. As well as paying your respects, it’s a great time to get together with friends, family and the local community.
You also need to be aware that this marks the start of a particularly dangerous time on the roads – the so-called “100 Deadliest Days of Summer.” It’s the time of year when fatalities involving teenage drivers are at their highest, but it can still affect you no matter your age, as teens don’t just get into collisions among themselves.
Reasons for the rise in risk
Some of the increased risk is down to teenage drivers having more time to drive over the summer because they are not in classes. Yet it’s not all down to them.
Alcohol is a big factor in road deaths at this time of year. From Memorial Day onwards, there will be a lot of people consuming alcohol as they get into the summer spirit. People dust off their BBQs and invite friends and family around, others travel to the beach, while others take advantage of the increasing evening warmth and light to sit outside their favorite bar after work.
As you probably know, alcohol affects the ability to drive safely, so more people consuming more alcohol is a recipe for problems.
Fatigue is another factor that crops up in a lot of summertime crashes. People often make long road trips to see family, to attend events or take a vacation and tired drivers can be almost as dangerous as drunk ones.
Those who have their summer spoilt by another driver should consider help to examine their compensation options.
