Panama City Accident Lawyer's Tips For A Safe Holiday Season
The Holiday Season is fully underway. That means family, cheer, good times, and an unfortunate spike in accidents here in Panama City, FL. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Florida residents suffered several fatal crashes, and if history is an indicator, we can expect more tragedies in December. People travel near and far to celebrate with loved ones, attend parties, and (of course) shop for gifts. When more cars are on the road, more accidents naturally follow.
Staying safe over the Holidays is relatively easy, however. A few simple tips from a Panama City Accident Lawyer can both keep you out of trouble, and minimize the damage done by others.
- Never, ever, ever drink and drive. It’s dangerous and it’s illegal. Cars and alcohol do not mix in any quantity, no matter how small – impairment begins with the first drink. Use a designated driver, take a taxi, hire a limo — or stay at home and celebrate with your family in safety. If there is a question about whether you are safe to drive or not, the answer is surely no.
- Always wear your seat belt. Imagine there was an outbreak of a potentially fatal virus. Imagine now that the risk of infection could be cut in half with a readily available vaccine. That’s what a safety belt is — it’s a safe vaccine against fatal motor vehicle accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that wearing a safety belt reduces the risk of serious injury by 50%. Accidents happen, but the best way to survive is to buckle up. In a similar vein, make sure your small children are always buckled into an age-appropriate car seat.
- Put down the cell phone. A car traveling at 55 MPH will cover the length of a football field in the time it takes to read a text, let alone send one. Texting while driving distracts a driver’s attention away from the highway, and onto their cell phones. Distracted driving can be almost as bad as drunk driving — about 421,000 people were injured in distracted driving accidents in 2012, and another 3,360 died. If it is urgent that you send a message, pull over.
The Holidays should be a time of happy memories. Staying safe helps them stay that way. Of course if you do experience a problem over the holidays, please feel free to contact our Panama City accident attorneys at (850) 795-4979.