San Antonio car accident lawyers explain how to stay safe while traveling this holiday season.
Planning to drive to see family or friends this Thanksgiving, Christmas, or for another holiday this season? You’re not alone. An estimated 55 million drivers are expected to drive at least 50 miles during the Thanksgiving weekend, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). And many more will surely hit the road in December.
Unfortunately, with all these drivers on the road simultaneously, car crashes are bound to happen. This is especially true in Texas, where car accident fatalities continue to set yearly records. Last year, 4,489 people died in fatal Texas car accidents, the highest car accident death toll in the state since 1981, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
This is why the San Antonio car accident attorneys at the Herrera Law Firm want to help. Below, you can find 5 helpful safety tips to avoid a collision during the holiday travel season – or any time of year, for that matter. And if you are injured in an accident, make sure you fully understand your legal rights. Make sure you contact our law firm and schedule an appointment right away to review your potential legal options.
1) Service Your Vehicle
Many holiday car trips involve long journeys, especially in a big state like Texas, so you need to ensure your vehicle is safe to drive before hitting the road. If you haven’t had an oil change, now’s the time to do so. Also, make sure to check your vehicle’s brakes, tire pressure, and tire tread. The last thing you want to happen is for your car to break down and become involved in a collision due to low tire pressure, defective brakes, or poor tire tread.
2) Prepare For Emergency
Driving in November and December can be dangerous due to unexpected snowstorms, ice storms, and other hazardous weather. Even in southern Texas, it’s not unusual for winter weather to wreak havoc on the roads. So make sure you’re prepared for unexpected winter storms. Before you hit the road, ensure you’re traveling with jumper cables, a first aid kit, a spare tire, and extra food and water. You never know what can happen when driving to grandma’s or another relative’s home on Thanksgiving or Christmas.
3) Get Enough Sleep
Many holiday road trips involve driving hundreds of miles in a single day. So if you’re embarking on a long road trip, ensure you’re fully rested and wide awake when you get behind the wheel. Tired drivers often cause serious car accidents. And if you do find yourself nodding off behind the wheel, take a break immediately. AAA recommends stopping and resting every 2 hours or every 100 miles.
4) Focus On Driving
It’s easy to get distracted while driving at any time of the year. But add in a car full of kids and other relatives, and it’s easy to focus on everything but the road in front of you. If you’re driving somewhere new, look up directions before you begin your journey. And it should go without saying that you should never text while driving or engage in other dangerous distracted driving habits. All it takes is 1 second of looking away from the road to cause a serious distracted driving accident. Don’t become another statistic. Arrive alive at your destination.
5) Respect Other Drivers
Driving during the holidays can be incredibly stressful, mainly because there are often so many people on the road at the same time. Unfortunately, heavy traffic often isn’t the only problem. Aggressive or reckless drivers can make a stressful road trip even more of a headache. Don’t be part of the problem. Don’t tailgate, weave in and out of traffic or cause chaotic situations due to aggressive driving. Instead, safely share the road with other drivers.
How can a San Antonio car accident attorney help?
You might think you don’t need an attorney if another driver caused a collision while driving during the holidays. But just like other times of the year, many holiday car accidents quickly turn into complicated legal cases. This is why it’s critical that you have an experienced attorney on your side, standing up for your legal rights.
If you were injured in a crash, the San Antonio car accident lawyers at the Herrera Law Firm can help you every step of the way. We know what to do because we have successfully handled many complex car accident claims and lawsuits throughout Texas. When you have our legal team on your side, you can make sure your accident gets the attention it deserves.
Learn more about your legal rights. Contact us and schedule a free case evaluation with a San Antonio car accident attorney you can trust. Our office is located on West Commerce Street in San Antonio, and we handle car accident claims throughout Texas. In addition, we work on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay no fees unless we win your case. Contact our law firm today to learn more about how we can help you.
