Tennessee Injury Law Center
Car accidents are still significantly higher than pre-pandemic numbers. In fact, the United States performs poorly compared to other developed nations because our traffic injuries and deaths are increasing instead of decreasing. The United States Department of Transportation estimates 18,720 people died in traffic-related deaths in the first 6 months of 2024. Nearly 72 million people are driving for the Thanksgiving holiday, so now is the time to do some safety preparation and planning that includes vehicle maintenance as well as an insurance check-up amongst other things.
Before you hit the road to visit family or attend a Friendsgiving, take a few minutes to verify your car’s road readiness. Check your tires to make sure they have sufficient tread and are properly inflated. Reduced tread and improperly inflated tires pose a safety risk for both blowouts and poor handling and stopping. Check your windshield wipers, turn signals, brake lights, etc. AAA has a full vehicle checklist.
Leave yourself enough time to get to your destination without resorting to speeding and aggressive driving. Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons before the holiday are expected to have the highest traffic volume as is Sunday afternoon after the holiday. Monday is expected to be busy as well because of the combination of both travelers and work commuters.
If you are traveling long distances, take breaks or switch drivers to avoid fatigue. A severely fatigued driver can be just as dangerous as a drunk driver due to slow reaction times, reduced attention etc. In the days leading up to your trip, be sure to get good rest.
Do not drive under the influence. The number of people who drink excessively the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is so bad that it has two names: Drinksgiving and Blackout Wednesday. People return to their hometowns and go out with friends and over imbibe. If you want to have fun with family and old friends, make a plan to get home safely.
Wear your seatbelt. And do not lay your seat back while traveling. While it can be tempting to lay your seat back as far as it will go so that you can try and take a nap or relax, this reduces the effectiveness of the seatbelt system. In certain types of crashes, it can allow you to “submarine” or slip out under the seatbelt and sustain serious injuries. Similarly, if you have not seen our blog post about putting your feet up on the dash while traveling, then please take a look as severe injuries can result in the event of a crash.
Avoid distractions whether they are a dog in your lap, eating while driving, adjusting the navigation device, handing things to children in the back seat, etc. Of course, since July of 2019, it has been against the law to hold a cellphone and drive, send a text or read texts while driving, record or watch videos or broadcasts while driving
Finally, check your car insurance. The number of completely uninsured drivers in the United States is actually going up. Currently, 14% of drivers have zero insurance, which is roughly 32 million people. You need uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to protect yourself from uninsured drivers and from drivers who only have the bare minimum of coverage. This coverage is surprisingly affordable. Before you leave for the holiday, check to see if you have it and contact your insurance agent if you do not.
We hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Our award-winning lawyers are here if you need us.
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