The National Safety Council is estimating that 405 fatalities will occur over Labor Day weekend this year. In past years, their estimates have been close to the actual fatalities (sometimes their estimates went over, sometimes under) and they are providing safe driving tips to help make 2017 the year when the fatalities are much less than expected.
We recently blogged about some of their safe driving tips and we’re sharing three more tips here.
#1 Keep children in properly installed safety seats at all times
It’s important to make sure that the safety seats are the appropriate models for the children’s ages and sizes. HealthyChildren.org, a site by the American Academy of Pediatrics, provides detailed specifications for car seats; these recommendations have been updated on July 18, 2017, so these are the latest ones available. You can find specific product recommendations from them for 2017 here.
As general guidelines, infants and toddlers should use rear-facing-only or rear-facing convertible seats until they are two years old or when they reach the maximum height or weight size allowed by the manufacturer. Toddlers and preschoolers should use convertible car seats or forward-facing ones with harnesses. These should be used until they reach the maximum height or weight allowed by the manufacturer. The site contains significantly more detailed information about these seats, as well as recommendations for school-aged children and beyond.
#2 Allow enough travel time
When you feel as though you don’t have enough time to get where you need to go, it can be tempting to speed – which makes driving more hazardous for you and for other drivers on the road. And, even if you don’t speed, when you feel pressured by time, you’ll naturally feel frustrated and won’t be driving at your best.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding is a top factor in traffic crashes. The estimated economic cost of speeding-related accidents is $40.4 billion – and that’s annually. In 2012, speeding served as a factor in 30 percent of all fatal crashes. The number of lives lost in speed-related crashes in 2012 alone was 10,219.
#3 Be alert when driving, exercising extreme caution
National Public Radio shares results from a December 2016 report released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety that indicates how drivers who get only five to six hours of sleep are twice as likely to crash as those who get seven hours or more. And, drivers who only sleep four to five hours are involved in four times as many crashes, nearly as many as the rate for drunk drivers. Plus, twenty percent of fatal accidents in the United States involve a driver who is sleepy.
South Carolina Car Accident Attorney
Over this Labor Day weekend, we urge you to follow the safe driving tips provided by the National Safety Council. These will help you to stay safe. But, we understand that car accidents still happen – and that insurance companies may not offer you the settlement you deserve.
That’s why the personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of F. Craig Wilkerson are here to represent you and advocate for you, to help ensure you receive full compensation. So, schedule a free case evaluation online or call us at:
- 803-324-7200(Rock Hill attorneys)
- 803-289-7202(Lancaster attorneys)
- 803-396-5200(Fort Mill attorneys)