Each year the Labor Day holiday sees a higher than average rate of car crashes. The National Safety Council predicted that between Friday and Monday this year, around 456 would be killed, and about 52,000 would sustain injuries requiring medical treatment.
If you were unlucky enough to be one of those injured, it is essential to consider what the other driver may have done wrong.
Had they been drinking?
For many people, holiday weekends involve celebrating with alcohol. For some, it is a chance to consume recreational party drugs. Both have a devastating effect on people’s ability to drive safely.
That is well known, yet many people still take the wheel when they should not. An additional issue is that many people party so hard that they are still impaired the morning after when they have to drive home.
Had they driven a long way to see family or friends?
As you go through life, it is natural that your friends and family will disperse across the country. People move for jobs, education or other reasons. Sometimes the only time someone can get enough time off work to visit their loved ones is on these holiday weekends.
However, those long journeys can be extremely tiring on the driver, especially as the number of people with the same idea can cause tailbacks that make the journey even longer.
Combine that with some late nights over the weekend, and you get a lot of people who are too tired to drive safely. Yet, because they need to get back to work the next day, they push on through, possibly making dangerous mistakes along the way.
If another driver spoiled your Labor Day holiday, seek legal help to claim compensation.