Although the holidays are a time to be joyous and bring the family together, the holiday season is also infamous for traffic accidents. But for the past 10 years, something surprising has been happening, there have been fewer car accidents on thanksgiving since 2010 and the trend points to fewer deaths in the future.
The National Safety Council (NSC) predicted Thanksgiving car accident deaths with drastically increase in 2020 but true figures have yet to be released. The NSC admits that due to COVID-19, their predictions may have a wider area of uncertainty.
The chart above shows that the estimated deaths related to car accidents on Thanksgiving will rise roughly 16% in 2020.
There are roughly 114 medical consulted injuries (those are injuries where a doctor is consulted for treatment) for every 1 car accident over Thanksgiving each year. With that in mind, the NSC estimates a total of 55,300 non-fatal car accident injuries over the weekend. (NSC)
Why Car Accidents Over Thanksgiving are Decreasing
What could be the reason for this decrease in car accidents over thanksgiving? It almost certainly comes down to advances and availability in tech. Particularly, three advances have had a drastic effect on decreasing car accidents over thanksgiving.
Safer Cars
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car safety has drastically improved over the years, and as we mentioned before, it all comes down to advances in automobile technology.
“Vehicle safety has changed drastically over the years, and today newer cars are safer than ever before. Thanks to advanced engineering, in-depth research, and analysis of crash data, newer vehicles are built better and have more safety features to protect you. Advanced technologies that have emerged in recent years give you even more safety options — you can choose what features are best to keep you and your family safe on the road.” (NHTSA)
Some of the obvious advances include seat belts, airbags, electronic stability control, backup cameras, blind-spot detection capabilities, and driver assistance systems. Not to mention, when modern cars are involved in an auto accident, they are designed to protect the passengers at all costs.
Ridesharing Means Fewer DUIs
The advent and widespread availability of ridesharing programs like Uber and Lyft have decreased the number of DUIs. In fact in some cities, Uber has decreased the number of DUIs by more than 10%. (Uber)
Though ridesharing accidents and injuries raise other potential issues, the number of dangerous DUI related car accident injuries has decreased significantly thanks to ridesharing programs.
Because the holidays are a notorious time for DUIs, the introduction of ridesharing has decreased the number of car accidents over Thanksgiving.
Less Travel in General, Especially True With COID-19
This Thanksgiving, there should be even fewer car accident-related deaths because travel has been difficult due to COIVD-19 and the public in general avoiding large gatherings.
The overall hesitation to travel will have a direct impact on the number of cars on roads and indirectly decrease the number of car accidents of thanksgiving weekend. Though we may not see as much of a decline in states that have relaxed COVID-19 restrictions.
More Reliance on Air Travel
In the past, air travel was much more expensive, which meant that most Thanksgiving weekend visits began with a long road trip. But things have changed. Now, there is more reliance on air travel and less on long-distance car rides.
Now that fewer people are on the roads, car accidents over Thanksgiving will decrease indirectly.
If You Were Injured Over Thanksgiving
Call Steinger, Greene & Feiner if you were injured in a car accident over Thanksgiving weekend. Our dedicated personal injury lawyers in Florida will fight to ensure you are covered and you receive compensation for all of your pain and suffering. Call us today: (800) 560-5059.
About the Author
Michael Steinger
MICHAEL S. STEINGER, founding partner of Steinger, Greene & Feiner, believes in representing real people, not big businesses. Since the firm’s creation in 1997, Steinger, Greene & Feiner has never represented an insurance company or large corporation, and he vows to keep this promise. Over the course of his career, Michael has handled thousands of Florida accident cases, recovering millions of dollars for his clients and earning him membership into the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Staying up-to-date on the ever-evolving laws protecting injury victims and their families, Michael is an active member of the American Bar Association, the Palm Beach, and St. Lucie Bar Associations, and sits on the Auto Insurance Committee of the Florida Justice Association.
Michael Steinger
MICHAEL S. STEINGER, founding partner of Steinger, Greene & Feiner, believes in representing real people, not big businesses. Since the firm’s creation in 1997, Steinger, Greene & Feiner has never represented an insurance company or large corporation, and he vows to keep this promise. Over the course of his career, Michael has handled thousands of Florida accident cases, recovering millions of dollars for his clients and earning him membership into the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Staying up-to-date on the ever-evolving laws protecting injury victims and their families, Michael is an active member of the American Bar Association, the Palm Beach, and St. Lucie Bar Associations, and sits on the Auto Insurance Committee of the Florida Justice Association.