Driving Safety Tips for the Easter Holiday
If you had to pick the least safe holidays to drive, you might say New Year’s Day or Christmas. In reality, the long Easter weekend isn’t far behind other major holidays in car accidents. In fact, Easter is the fourth deadliest holiday for driving, with a large percentage of fatalities taking place around New Jersey and nearby states.
What Makes Easter a Hazardous Time to Drive?
Most people would never assume that Easter driving could be so treacherous. Nevertheless, looking at a few specifics reveals why Easter ranks so highly among high-risk driving holidays.
- Weather: The changeable weather patterns of springtime can catch drivers unaware. Snow, sleet, fog, rain, and sun glare can all contribute to making spring driving treacherous
- Animals: After February, many animals, including deer, begin to forage. If a deer runs in front of your car, you can try to stop suddenly to avoid hitting the deer. However, the person behind you, unable to see the animal darting into the road, could wind up rear-ending your vehicle. Rear-end accidents are often linked to driver injuries like broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, and whiplash.
- Drinking: Many families serve alcoholic beverages as part of their Easter celebrations. The long Easter weekend can also be a time for friends to get together at bars on Friday and Saturday nights. As you can imagine, the more people who drink alcohol, the higher the chance of drunk drivers on the road.
- Aggression: Unfortunately, aggressive driving still happens during holidays. Everything from congested traffic to speeding can set the stage for possible collisions.
- Inexperienced Drivers: Plenty of teens and young people get their driver’s licenses as the weather begins to warm up. As a result, they may be driving for the first time during the spring months. Remember that many schools have a week-long spring break around Easter, which adds to the number of inexperienced drivers on the highway.
How Can I Stay Safe On the Road During Easter?
Easter does not have to end up being a time of frustration or difficulty for you or your family, of course. The way to reduce your chances of being in an Easter weekend collision is to take defensive action beforehand. The following recommendations should help you stay in better control of your driving.
Slow Down
It can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you have to rush around during the Easter weekend. After all, you want to do so many things. However, your best bet is to take it slowly. And not just on the roads, either. Remain vigilant even in parking lots. Parking lot crashes may not be deadly as frequently as road-going accidents, but they can still ruin your Easter break.
Avoid Peak Driving Periods
You can probably guess when peak Easter driving periods may be, especially if you have lived in your New Jersey community for a while. Accordingly, switch up your schedule to leave earlier or later than you might otherwise. Moving your departure time by just 30 minutes can have a positive impact on how many other drivers will be sharing the road.
Stay Overnight
Do you plan to drink alcohol during Easter? If you do not, have a designated driver to ensure you get home safely, consider staying overnight at a family member’s or friend’s house. That way, you can be certain that you will never drive buzzed or drunk.
Use a Rideshare to Travel
Maybe you feel less confident about driving during Easter this year but you still want to get to a celebration. Instead of worrying, use a rideshare app or a taxi service. Letting a rideshare driver take you around means one less thing to think about.
Ditch the Distractions
Do not allow distractions like your phone to keep you from focusing on your driving. This Easter, put your phone away in a bag or your vehicle’s console or glove compartment. That way, it will be out of sight and less likely to distract you.
Get Your Car a Checkup
Has it been awhile since you checked your car’s oil levels, topped off the fluids, or examined the tires? Spring presents the ideal chance to make sure your car is in the best shape possible. As a bonus, take your car to the car wash for a post-winter scrub-down. Pay special attention to your exterior mirrors and lights.
Rely on Weather Forecasts
Even if the sun is shining and the day seems mild, keep an eye on the weather throughout your Easter travels. Storms can pop up without warning and the temperature can dip, too. Even a little bit of rain can leave a road surface slicker than you might have assumed.
Know Where Road Construction Is Happening
If you drive long enough, you will find yourself in construction-related traffic jams. Fortunately, many apps now track where and when construction is occurring. Staying up to date on construction zones will give you the opportunity to switch your route.
Stay Calm in the Event of a Car Accident
No matter how good or pragmatic of a driver you are, you might still find yourself in an Easter weekend accident. In that case, follow the basic steps that you would if you crashed any other time of year.
- Try to get your car off the road if you can move it safely.
- Contact 911 right away to report the accident.
- Exchange basic information with the other driver.
- Take photos or videos to document the accident.
- Give emergency responders the facts so the police can generate a report.
- Avoid taking blame, even if you think that you are at fault.
- Get checked out by medical personnel, either at the site or promptly at a hospital, to identify any injuries caused by the accident.
- Call your insurance company and start the claims process.
If it seems like you are getting nowhere with insurance providers after the accident or your injuries are extensive, you may want to call a car accident lawyer. Car accident lawyers work with clients who have been seriously hurt in crashes. Often, lawyers can help accident survivors get larger settlement offers than they would have received otherwise.
Highland Park Car Accident Lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr Advise Clients Injured in Holiday Collisions
After an Easter break crash, you do not have to wait to call the Highland Park car accident lawyers at Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr. Our team is available to arrange an appointment right away. Call us at 732-537-8570 or contact us online. We serve clients in New Brunswick, Somerset, Piscataway, Edison, South River, Sayreville, Metuchen, East Brunswick, South Plainfield, Fords, Middlesex, Old Bridge, Iselin, Bound Brook, Perth Amboy, Colonia, Elizabeth, and Newark.
