The summer time is a dangerous time for motorists, with car accident fatality data showing that July Fourth is historically the deadliest day on the road over the course of the entire year. The period from Memorial Day through Labor Day has also been recognized as the deadliest time for teen drivers and the period in which young people are most likely to become involved in an accident.
While all of summer is a high risk time on the roads, however, our Johnson City car accident lawyers know that August is the riskiest month of all. August has historically been recognized as the deadliest month for motorists and has four of the deadliest days of the year, beating out the second deadliest month of July, which has three of the deadliest days.
Why is August Such a High Risk Time?
There are a lot of reasons why so many car wrecks happen in the month of August. Some of the issues are the same reasons that all of the summer months are more dangerous: kids are off of school and have more time to drive around and the summer holidays and warm weather can encourage lazy afternoons at barbecues that often result in too many beers being consumed.
However, August is also the month right before kids go back to school and summer ends. As a result, people usually try to fit in last minute vacations and are also scrambling to get all of their back-to-school errands finished up before time runs out. With more drivers potentially on the road taking care of all of these issues, the increased traffic helps to explain why Your4State reports that both the American Safety Council and AAA Mid-Atlantic have clearly identified August as the deadliest month.
August’s deadliest days include the third, the fourth, the sixth and the 10th of the month, but motorists should be especially careful at all times throughout the month to ensure they are doing everything possible to protect themselves and their passengers from harm.
How to Stay Safe During the Deadliest Driving Month
Unfortunately, there is no 100 percent foolproof way to avoid becoming involved in an auto accident this August since you are always dependent upon other drivers to make safe choices and not put your life in danger. You can do everything right and still get hurt if another motorist makes careless decisions.
Still, there are things you can do to reduce the chances of a car wreck injuring you. For example, some of the safety tips to consider when driving in August include:
- Wearing your seat-belt at all times to reduce the risk of dying or suffering serious injuries if a crash does happen.
- Avoiding higher risk driving times whenever possible, such as driving late at night.
- Refraining from high-risk behavior such as driving when you are overtired, distracted or impaired by drugs or alcohol.
- Avoiding tailgating and leaving at least a three to four second following distance between you and the vehicle in front in case there is a traffic jam and/or a motorist stops short.
- Driving assertively by paying attention to what other motorists are doing and reacting accordingly.
By following these important safety tips during the deadliest driving month of the year, hopefully you can reduce the chances of becoming another August accident victim.
If you are in an accident in Johnson City, Tennessee, contact Meade Injury Law Group today at (423) 464-7779for a free case consultation.
