Last Christmas, at least 26 Atlanta residents did not make it home because of holiday car accidents. The travel period surrounding Christmas is something that many people dread. But they often put down traffic as an inconvenience rather than something unsafe. What it comes down to is that traveling during the holiday may not be reasonable, and staying home is definitely safer.
December 21 to December 26, 2018
The holidays are something that brings joy, stress, fear, and anxiety. It’s a hodgepodge of emotions, and for many families last year, it incited grief that will last for years. During the 2018 Christmas travel period from the Friday before to the day after, there were 26 deaths in Atlanta.
Every year the Atlanta Police Force and safety authorities try to spread the message of driving safely. Unfortunately, their messages don’t reach everyone. Buckling up is still a major problem. State troopers within this same five-day range investigated over 700 crashes. That number was up from the 515 in the five-day span from 2017.
Both car accident attorneys and the police in Atlanta are seeing a rise in car accidents rise as we enter our most distracting time of year. Police and GA state troopers are on the lookout for unsafe driving conditions, and that includes distractions.
Contributing Factors to Holiday Car Accidents
Holiday crashes don’t happen quite the same way that others do. Yes, they both include one or more vehicles, but at this time of year, people are in a hurry. A lot of people are in a hurry to get somewhere, and they usually don’t’ care about the people in the car in front of them.
Issues that Atlanta Police see more frequently during the holiday months include drunk driving, distracted driving (texting), and curb hopping. People are in so much of a hurry that they’ll ride a curb, which is very bad for your vehicle, to pass cars illegally or turn onto a street that seems less crowded.
There is a little opportunity available to help deter these acts from being done to you. However, you can take measures to avoid them. Avoid driving during peak hours for drunk driving, and especially on “party nights,” such as Saturday night. If you’re at a part yourself, choose to leave a little earlier to cut down the chances of getting into a wreck with a drunk driver.
Through the month of December, there is a 12% increase in drunk drivers. The most fatal holiday car accidents involving drunk drivers happen between midnight and 3 a.m., usually, on Saturday.
Contacting Emergency Services
Given the extent of the crash, you may want to call for emergency services before you exit your vehicle. Before doing anything else, always check on yourself and your passengers. Even if you feel fine, visually check that you’re okay. Shock can cover a great extent of injuries, and many people in shock may not realize that they’re hurt.
If anyone in your vehicle needs medical attention, contact 911. If you can get out of the car and check on the other vehicle, do so. If the damage looks extensive from the outside, then it may be realistic to contact emergency services right away instead of waiting.
Medical Treatment and Medical Emergencies
Medical treatment and emergency services can help lower the toll this year. Looking back at last year’s number, they had a severe jump from 2017. Hopefully, the 2019 season will have a much lower death rate than 2018. The death toll, while clearly linked to holiday car accidents, doesn’t mean that there aren’t opportunities to prevent it.
When contacted immediately, medical services can be the difference between a fatality and not. The difference of an EMS response within 7 minutes of a crash versus arrival within 12 minutes of a crash was double the mortality rate.
Whenever you believe that there’s a need for emergency response, call right away, don’t wait. After a crash, people may worry about how it will look to first responders. It’s never clear who was at fault or what caused the crash right away.
Contact a Car Accident Attorney in Atlanta
The Weinstein Firm works hard to match clients with the right attorney. When it comes to the holidays, everyone is a little extra busy. Unfortunately, that leads to many more accidents, which is one more thing that you don’t have time to worry about. Instead, hire an attorney and let them get the situation sorted out.
If your crash left you unable to do everything you need to, such as work, then you need legal guidance. Contact The Weinstein Firm for help in handling your crash and your recovery.
