With more people on the roads during the holidays, police in Alabama and states across the country may see an increase in the number of traffic accidents and deaths on the road. Statistics from the National Safety Council show that more car accidents happen during Christmas, New Year’s, Labor, Thanksgiving, Memorial and Independence Day than other holidays. Many of these traffic accidents involve alcohol, especially during holidays such as New Year’s and Independence Day.
During the holiday season, over 27,000 people will suffer injuries and over 250 will die from vehicle accidents, according to estimates from the National Highway Safety Council. During the holidays of Memorial and Independence Day, more than 900 died in car accidents in 2013. The economy and day that holidays fall upon can have a major impact over the number of accidents and fatalities. The country often has fewer accidents and deaths during years of recessions or weekday holidays.
The number of fatalities and injuries resulting from automobile accidents fluctuates each year but has gone down in recent years. Out of all of the automobile accidents that occur in a given year in the United States, around a third involve alcohol, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2010. A number of these fatal or injury-producing automobile accidents involve children under the age of 14.
Lawsuits involving automobile accidents may need to be built upon evidence that the other driver held responsibility for causing the incident because of intoxication, a driving error or a distraction. Drivers may have a stronger case in court if police reports and eye-witness testimonies are in their favor. An attorney with experience in car accident cases may be able to help a client to build a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Impaired Driving: Get the Facts,” April 17, 2013.
Source: USA Today, “24/7 Wall St.: The most dangerous holidays“, Michael B. Sauter and Thomas C. Frohlich, December 23, 2013
