The Most Dangerous Times Of The Week For Driving

We have all heard that there are more car accidents around major holidays than there are at times of year when nothing special is going on.  The holiday season from Thanksgiving until New Year’s has more collisions per day than any other time of year.  Holiday weekends like the Fourth of July and Memorial Day, when the weather is ideal for a weekend road trip, are also more dangerous than normal.  Back to school season is not when you see risky situations like drunk driving or large numbers of people driving on unfamiliar roads.  Even in the times of year when there are no special events, sometimes in the week have a higher rate of traffic accidents than others.  No matter when the accident that caused your injuries occurred, you have the right to seek compensation for your accident-related financial losses with the help of a Columbia car accident lawyer.

The Afternoon Rush Hour Commute

Nationwide, the afternoon rush hour commute, defined as 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, witnesses a disproportionate number of traffic accidents.  The roads are crowded as people drive home from work, and the highways that people take from the business districts of Columbia and Charleston to the residential suburbs are a major site of trouble.  Accidents are not even spread out through all times of year.  There are more accidents in the winter months, when the sun sets right in front of your face as you make your westward afternoon commute, and then you are driving in darkness.  This effect is even more pronounced in northern states than it is in South Carolina, since it gets dark earlier, and there are many more days with below freezing temperatures.

Saturday Nights Are Peak Time for Alcohol-Related Accidents

Even though laws against drunk driving have reduced the number of alcohol-related collisions, alcohol is still a factor in approximately a third of accidents that result in serious injuries or fatalities.  You are at the greatest risk of crossing paths with a drunk driver on Saturday nights.  The back-to-school season sees an increase in drunk driving in college towns, as students return to campus and are eager to party with their friends.

There are probably some drunk drivers on the road during afternoon rush hour, too, but the accidents they cause tend not to be as destructive as the Saturday night accidents.  This is because there is less traffic on Saturday nights, meaning that there is more room for drunk drivers to gain speed, or even to cross the center line into oncoming traffic and cause a wrong-way collision.  More traffic means more people on the road who might report an erratically behaving driver to police before he or she causes an accident.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you if you got injured in a car accident during rush hour.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Source:

huffpost.com/entry/car-accident-hour_l_66b10c65e4b0781f9246f892