Prevent Christmastime Car Accidents
If you’re considering traveling this winter, you must take steps to prevent a car accident. Experts at AAA predict that road trips will account for 96% of year-end holiday travel. Congested highways and winter weather conditions could make driving more dangerous than usual.
The following measures can help you reduce your risk:
- Plan ahead: Start your trip on the right foot. Make sure that your car is ready to handle winter weather conditions if you’re headed out of state. Check to see if there are any travel restrictions in place on your route. And keep your car stocked with supplies such as blankets and a roadside emergency kit.
- Beware drunk drivers : Drunk driving is more prevalent during the holidays. There were 285 drunk-driving-related fatalities over the New Year’s and Christmas periods in 2018, according to NHTSA.
- Wear your seat belt: Buckling up is the best thing that you and your passengers can do to safe. Set belt use saves thousands of lives each year. Not wearing, or improperly wearing, a seat belt puts you at risk in a crash.
You can’t control what other people do behind the wheel. Even the most cautious drivers can be injured in a crash caused by someone else’s negligence.
Here’s what to do if you’re involved in an accident:
- Be careful getting out of your car
- Move vehicles out of traffic if it is safe and reasonable to do so
- Call 911 and report the crash
- Wait at the scene for police to arrive
- Exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver
- Take photos of the vehicles, the scene, and your injuries
- Get medical attention (adrenaline can mask serious injuries)
- Report the crash to your insurer (don’t admit fault, volunteer unsolicited details, or accept a hasty settlement)
- Call our lawyers
If you’ve been hurt in a motor vehicle collision in Columbia, Myrtle Beach, Kingstree, Marion, or elsewhere in South Carolina, please contact the experienced accident attorneys at Whetstone Perkins & Fulda for a complimentary consultation.
