Chicago car accident lawyer William G. Pintas and his team of experienced car crash attorneys at the Pintas & Mullins Law Firm are urging drivers to be safe this Labor Day Weekend. Holiday weekends often result in serious and even fatal traffic accidents. With the large volume of travel expected this upcoming weekend, the roads will be filled with potential dangers.
According to AAA, about 33 million drivers will hit the roads this holiday weekend. This is up nearly one million drivers from last year. Preparations are already being made, with advance Enterprise Rent-A-Car reservations 25% higher than they were in 2011. A majority of holiday travelers will drive, with only a small percentage traveling by plane, train, or bus.
Although a boost in holiday drivers may be good news for the economy, heavy traffic volume is not such a good thing for drivers. With more people driving on a weekend where alcohol is involved in many of the holiday festivities, the potential for danger is extremely high.
Government officials in many states, including Illinois, are taking preventative steps to keep the roads as safe as possible. The Illinois State Police joined forces with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to launch a “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. This awareness campaign began on August 17, 2012, and runs through the end of the weekend.
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Drunk driving is a major problem in Illinois and nationwide. In fact, nearly 30 people die every day in a drunk driving crash, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). The deadliest time of day is between midnight and 3 a.m., when there is a high use of alcohol and low seatbelt use rates.
Drunk driving crashes affect drivers in all areas of Illinois, including major metropolitan cities like Rockford, Peoria, and Springfield, along with college communities such as Champaign-Urbana. Highway accidents are also common on holiday weekends, and often result in fatalities due to the high rate of speed that drivers are traveling.
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New reports from 2011 indicate that an Illinois driver was charged with drunk driving on Labor Day morning, after he drove off the road and crashed into a tree. The driver and his passenger suffered serious injuries. Sadly, this is just one of many drunk driving accidents that happened that weekend.
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Although drinking is involved in many fatal traffic crashes, several other factors may contribute to a serious accident. Inattentive driving also leads to crashes that can result in severe injuries, including spinal cord and nerve damage. Drivers may change lanes without using proper traffic signals, or run a red light at an intersection. Texting and talking on cell phones is also another distracter that leads to car accidents.
So when you are heading out to enjoy your holiday weekend and traveling to and from your destination, remember to proceed with caution. Always wear your seatbelt and be on the lookout for dangerous or drunk drivers. Avoid texting or talking on your phone while driving and obey traffic laws. All it takes is a few seconds for an accident to happen, and the consequences can last a lifetime.
Unfortunately, even when safety precautions are taken, accidents can still happen. This is especially true when the roads are clogged with holiday drivers. Our car accident lawyers have experience aggressively pursuing the rights of traffic accident victims and obtaining the maximum compensation possible. It is important to contact an experienced Illinois car crash lawyer as soon as possible after an accident in order to protect your interests.
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