Auto Accidents Increase During the Holidays
Auto Accidents Increase During the Holidays Buckle Up!
Auto Accidents Increase During the Holidays, families traveling, holiday parties with alcohol and increased traffic set the stage for an increase in car crashes. Best Christmas Present! Arrive Alive! Buckle Up! At Barnes & Cohen our 40 years of experience fighting for the rights of injured auto accident victims remind us everyday that seatbelts often prevent auto accident victims from being injured more seriously or even killed in an auto crash. Seatbelts save lives and yet every year people die needlessly, and people are injured more seriously because they failed to buckle up. According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, 47% of the passengers killed in Auto Crashes were not wearing seatbelts. Here in South Georgia and North Florida we have seen accidents involving teens that died when they were ejected from their cars in a crash, a father died when he was ejected from his vehicle while his one-year-old survived the crash with no injuries in his car seat, the sad stories continue to rob families of their loved ones. An estimated 2,549 people across nation could have been saved in 2019 if they had buckled up. Not only does Buckling up save lives it helps prevent serious injuries in minor accidents. NHSTA estimate 50% of people seriously injured in a crash could have walked away without a scratch if they had been wearing a seatbelt.
Jacksonville, Florida was the scene of a fatal Auto Accident on Sunday, one week before Christmas. The Auto Accident occurred around 3 a.m. on McDuff area near Commonwealth Avenue. A man driving an SUV drifted into the wrong lane, crashing into a parked semi-truck. The Semi-truck driver had parked his vehicle in a turn lane and left his vehicle leaving his lights on. The driver of the SUV died at the scene he was not wearing a seatbelt. An investigation is underway to determine if speed or alcohol were a factor. The truck driver may face charges depending on the outcome of the investigation.
During the holidays we experience more accidents on our roads here in Jacksonville, Florida and South Georgia. While failure to buckle up happens in all age groups the largest segment of our population that fails to buckle up is our teen drivers and young adults. Please Buckle Up! Take the time to hug your teen driver, teach them- “Best Christmas Present! Buckle Up! Arrive Alive!”
- Buckle Up! It is the single most effective thing you can do to prevent serious injury or death in an accident.
- Buckling up keeps you from being ejected from your vehicle in a serious Auto Accident.
- Air bags can seriously injure or kill when used without a seatbelt restraint. The force of the airbag deploying has been designed to work with seatbelts not alone. Air bags are especially dangerous for an unrestrained child or a smaller lightweight person.
- Wear your seatbelt correctly and make sure small children and infants are properly buckled in an approved car seat. Go to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration website for help on finding an approved seat.
We never plan to be in an Auto Accident. The stress, the injury, dealing with the insurance company, should I call the police or seek medical treatment first. If you or a loved one has experienced an injury in an Auto Accident Barnes & Cohen Personal Injury Attorneys are available with a Free Consultation.