The holiday season runs from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. This is a time of celebration for many people, encompassing several different holidays that increase familial and social gatherings that require some level of travel.

The busiest travel days during this time are:

• The Day Before Thanksgiving
• The Sunday After Thanksgiving
• The Day Before Christmas Eve
• The Day After Christmas

According to AAA, 50.4 million people traveled for Thanksgiving in 2021, and 109 million traveled for Christmas. Most of these, even those going to the airport, traveled at least some of that distance in a passenger vehicle. This year promises to be more of the same, bringing thousands of additional drivers onto already busy New York highways and increasing risks for serious or fatal motor vehicle accidents. If you plan on driving this year, it is essential that you take steps to protect yourself and others on the road.

If you are traveling for the holidays, remember to give yourself additional time to get to your destination. There will be increased traffic, which will almost certainly impact your travel. Planning on a slower drive can help you remain more patient, which can help to reduce the risk of causing an accident.

In addition to being patient, give the cars around you plenty of room to maneuver. A good rule of thumb is the two-second rule: pay attention to the vehicle in front of you. When it passes a pole or other fixed object, count one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, making sure that the front of your vehicle does not pass the same object before reaching your second count. This lets you know you have enough room to brake should the need occur suddenly.

Also, remember to:

• Stay Sober
• Avoid Distraction
• Obey Traffic Signs
• Signal Your Intent
• Follow the Flow of Traffic

These steps can help you avoid causing an accident. They may also help you avoid being the victim of someone else’s.

Safe driving is the responsibility of each driver. When you are involved in an accident caused by a driver who failed to be safe, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your injuries. The attorneys at McPhillips, Fitzgerald & Cullum LLP are here to help.

Please call our Glen Falls, New York office at  518-792-1174  to schedule a free case review and learn more.

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