Memorial Day marks the beginning of this year’s “100 deadliest days” for drivers. This is the most dangerous time of the year for motorists as accident and fatality rates skyrocket. One of the largest contributing factors to this is the abundance of teens and college students that will be on the highways. According to AAA, there is an average of 10 deaths caused by teen drivers crash every day during this period.
However, that shouldn’t distract you from the dangers you and your family face in the weeks leading up to it. Many students are finishing up their classes and getting out of their high schools and universities early. What they do for the rest of May can place you and other innocent drivers on the road at risk, so it is important to know what you might encounter.
Drunk driving
May is a particularly dangerous month for drunk driving because a lot of students are graduating. Many college students use this celebration as an excuse to go to the bar and have fun with their friends one last time before they start settling into apartments and full-time jobs. It’s also a popular time for high school students to engage in underage drinking.
Aside from college campuses and local taverns, you need to keep your eye out in the neighborhood for graduation parties. Many of them do serve alcohol, so you need to plan your routes carefully if you start seeing signs and balloons.
Drowsy driving
As much as students enjoy the summer, the weeks leading up to it are anything but relaxing. Many of them have to endure grueling final tests and papers that take away precious hours of nap time.
Fatigued motorists can get just as bad as drunk drivers. When driving near schools or college campuses, get away from the driver if they display similar behavior to someone intoxicated. Common signs include struggling to drive straight, turning too sharply and having delayed reaction times.
Inexperienced driving
Both high school and college students have a lot of adjusting to do as the summer begins. Many high school students will start taking their driving exams and start putting hours in with a parent or instructor. College students may be more experienced, but not all of them had access to their cars on campus, so they may have not been behind the wheel in months.
Car accidents continues to be one of the leading causes of teen deaths whether the younger drivers were responsible for it or not. As more accidents start occurring on your everyday routes, it is important to know what legal assistance is available to help you seek compensation for an automobile accident.
