Here in Houston, Memorial Day weekend is the official kickoff of summer. Starting this weekend up until Labor Day, road traffic amps up as families and individuals hit the road for summer vacation. Inexperienced teen drivers are also out of school and are out driving with their friends, often distracted by loud music, and cell phones. For these reasons, my law firm will be running community service radio spots on many Houston radio stations during these 100 deadliest days to help encourage my fellow Houstonians to stay safe and aware this summer. You can see me recording one of the spots just above!
What is it about these weeks that makes them so dangerous?
One of the most obvious factors is the larger number of vehicles on the road, as well as the longer distances many drivers are driving. Summer is the time when vacations are common (especially road trips), and Houston residents are on the move. Americans will log over 780 billion miles on their vehicles during these 100 days. That’s a lot of driving, and with that much driving comes more opportunities for car accidents. Add to that summer parties, trips down to Galveston or up to Lake Conroe, and other summer activities where alcohol is sure to be consumed, and the increased risk factors become more and more obvious.
During the average Memorial Day weekend, 400 Americans will lose their lives in traffic accidents with 44 percent of those accidents caused by drunken drivers. According to the National Safety Council [1], the dates between Memorial Day and Labor Day are the 100 deadliest days for motorists, a time period that includes seven of the ten deadliest driving days almost every year. In fact, in one recent year, in the months of June, July and August, there were approximately 10,000 fatal traffic collisions.
I’ve been representing my fellow Houstonians in serious car and truck accidents for over 20 years. I’ve seen firsthand, way too many times, the utter devastation these accidents can have on my clients and their families. I truly hope you stay safe this summer and never need my services, but if you’ve been involved in a serious car or truck accident case, you need to seek legal help immediately.
Please call us at (281)664-6500, any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for a free consultation about your case, or feel free to submit your case here. Remember, if we don’t win, you don’t pay, and we have a 99% success rate on our cases.
References
[1] http://www.nsc.org/pages/home.aspx
