Updated December 21, 2017
It’s the holiday season and a joyous time of the year. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants you to be careful if you are out driving this holiday season. Did you know there are more motor vehicle deaths around the three to four days around each holiday? In the few days surrounding Christmas and New Year’s Eve, an average of 304 people die in drunk driving crashes.
Driving when you are impaired or distracted is always dangerous, but add low visibility, rain, fog, and the pressures of the holiday season, and December just might be one of the most dangerous months to be on the road. Doug Horn, of “Drive by Example,” lists the four most dangerous holiday driving hazards:
Distracted driving – This includes driving while using cell phones for both talking and texting holiday messages to friends, coworkers and family. It also includes driving while checking out store hours and locations using a smartphone to surf the web.
Impaired driving – Year-end dinners, parties and celebrations typically involve consumption of alcohol, and in some cases, use of drugs. Also, be careful with cold medication which can make you sleepy and impair your judgment.
Pressured driving -The winter holidays typically bring with them increased pressures, especially financial pressures and the stress created by trying to do too much in a short time span. Drivers often react to these pressures by driving too fast for conditions, making aggressive lane changes, failing to yield right-of-way, and generally disregarding the needs and safety of others using the road.
Fatigued driving – “Increased demands and activities during the winter holidays often mean significantly reduced sleep schedules,” Horn added. “According to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, people who slept 6-7 hours a night were twice as likely to be involved in a crash as those sleeping 8 hours or more, while people sleeping less than 5 hours increased their risk four to five times.
So this holiday season, take this list and check it twice – and stay safe out there.