South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

The holidays make for a dangerous time on our roadways. The risks for car accidents in Lauderdale Lakes and elsewhere increase significantly as we see more and more drivers on the road during the Christmas and New Year's holidays. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA), the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and many other safe-driving advocates are all working together to increase road safety through the remainder of the busy holiday season.

Our Lauderdale Lakes car accident attorneys understand that enforcement and educational efforts are all underway to help raise awareness among drivers about the dangers we'll be facing during the rest of holiday season. The National Safety Council (NSC) has recently launched its predictions for roadway fatalities for the 2011 Christmas and New Year's holidays. Drivers are urged to be cautious on our roadways to help to reduce these risks.

2011 Christmas Day holiday:

The NSC considers the Christmas holiday period as the time from Friday evening on December 23rd through Monday evening on December 26th. During the 3.25 holiday period, the Council is predicting that there will be nearly 300 roadway fatalities and another 29,000 injuries that will require professional medical attention.

Each year, the number of fatalities decreases during this holiday period. Still, in 2009 there were nearly 250 people who died on U.S. roadways during this short holiday.

The NSC asks all motorists to wear a seat belt during the Christmas holiday, regardless of how far they'll be traveling. The council says that these safety devices are nearly 50 percent effective in preserving lives in the event of a traffic accident. About 100 lives may be saved because of these devices. Another 75 people could be saved if all motorists were to buckle up during the holiday period.

2011 New Year's Day holiday:

The NSC considers the New Year's Day holiday period as the time from Friday evening on December 30th through Monday evening on January 2nd. During the 3.25 holiday period, the council is predicting nearly 300 fatalities and another 30,000 injuries that will require professional medical attention.

The number of actual fatalities during this time decreased from 2005 to 2006 to 2007, but then again increased in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, nearly 460 people died because of traffic accidents during this short holiday.

The NSC again asks all motorists to wear a seat belt during the New Year's holiday regardless of how far you'll be traveling. The council says that these safety devices are nearly 50 percent effective in preserving lives in the event of a traffic accident. About 110 lives may be saved because of these devices. Another 75 people could be saved if all motorists were to buckle up during the holiday period.