The warm weather and summer sun is often the backdrop to summer road trips and vacations. Although summer weather is a great time of year for favorable road conditions, it is also when the most traffic accidents occur in the United States. According to Hassik Law, August and September are typically the peak months for car accidents.
Although this may be surprising news at first, the following five factors help explain why summer is the most dangerous driving season.
Vehicle Equipment Failure
The intense summer heat can wreak havoc on vehicles, especially those that aren’t in great condition to begin with. Tires that are worn out can experience a blowout when the air inside expands in the summer heat, potentially causing an accident. Radiators or engines can overheat, forcing the driver to pull over and potentially block traffic.
Crowded Roads
Summer vacation typically leads to more congested roads. Vacationers and tourists are less familiar with the area, driving slower and more erratically than locals. In addition, large campers and recreational vehicles can slow and frustrate traffic. Less experienced drivers in these large vehicles can often have difficulty navigating, taking wider turns than expected or more space on the road, resulting in an accident.
According to a car accident lawyer in Dallas, potential dangers in crowded roads include: rear-end collisions, hit and run accidents, distracted driver cases, pedestrian accidents, semi-truck accidents, and motorcycle accidents.
Young Drivers
The favorable road conditions that summer has to offer are prime for young drivers to get some experience. Since school is not in session, these individuals often have more free time to practice driving, run errands, or cruise the area. Since summer brings the largest amount of young drivers on the road, a higher percentage of accidents are attributed to their mistakes largely due to inexperience.
More Bikes
With the increased summer traffic also comes motorcyclists and cyclists. According to JML Law, the addition of these modes of transportation to the chaos of summer driving will result in increased traffic accidents. In some climates, motorcyclists only ride a few months per year, which means that there is a higher chance of inexperienced drivers on the road, thus a higher chance of accidents to happen. Cyclists, especially children, can be unpredictable and drivers must be extremely cautious when around them.
Road Construction
Increased road construction brings a multitude of traffic issues, including shutting down traffic lanes, detours, temporary signs or signals, and changes in typical driving conditions. The increased summer traffic congestion is magnified when road construction is taking place. Tourists that are not familiar with the area are often confused when confronted with detours or traffic changes. Locals running late for appointments due to construction tend to drive aggressively or at a higher rate of speed than normal. Often, road rage becomes evident in frustrated drivers, adding to the risk of an accident.
