On behalf of Smiley & Smiley, LLP posted in Car Accidents on Sunday, May 25, 2014.

Auto club AAA estimates that more than 31 million Americans will be traveling a minimum of 50 miles in their motor vehicles during this Memorial Day weekend. This extremely busy weekend is traditionally hazardous for travelers, as a much higher rate of motor vehicle accidents generally, fatal accidents and drunk driving accidents occur on U.S. roads during this period of time each year.

This year in particular is expected to be the busiest Memorial Day weekend for road travel in the U.S. since 2005. Experts speculate that this busyness will stem primarily from cabin fever associated with this year’s unusually long winter and with the relatively strong economy that is allowing more Americans the funds to travel. As a result, it is imperative that you take extra precautions when driving for the remainder of the weekend.

First, please avoid driving while drowsy, emotionally agitated, drunk or distracted. We frequently write about how hazardous each of these behaviors is. However, it is particularly important that you avoid these dangerous behaviors on this already treacherous weekend for motorists. Driving attentively will help you respond as quickly and safely as possible should you encounter a motorist who is driving unsafely.

Second, please ensure that you check your tire pressure and tire integrity before leaving to travel for any lengthy period of time. A startling number of auto accidents occur only after tire safety has been compromised. Checking to make sure that your tires are properly inflated will help to prevent certain kinds of accidents from happening to you and your passengers.

Source: Skift, “AAA Predicts 36.1 Million People in U.S. Will Travel For Memorial Day Weekend,” Joseph Pisani, May 16, 2014 

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