New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day Car Accidents

Driving statistics for accident injuries and fatalities for the New Year’s holiday begins at 6 p.m. December 31, 2019 and ends at 11:59 p.m. January 1, 2020. Whether you are driving on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, at Springer & Lyle, we want to make you aware of the dangers and encourage you to drive cautiously.

Every year, despite warnings and general awareness people should have about the association of the holiday with drinking alcohol, there are still accidents. The National Safety Council estimates 163 or more people will die in car accidents during the 30 hours considered holiday time.

New Year’s Eve

Champagne and New Year’s Eve go hand in hand. It is served at parties and hundreds of thousands of people greet the New Year with the bubbly in hand for a toast. This often comes at the end of a party night where alcohol has been frequently served. Add to this to unsafe road conditions due to bad winter weather and the mix is not good.

Here are some things you can do to help yourself stay safe:

• If you decide to drink, designate a driver, friend or family member, who will not drink and be available to drive you home.
• If there is not a designated driver, call a transportation company, or take a taxi so you will get home safely.
• Sleep overnight at the party.

New Year’s Day

This is a busy driving day. It is often the last day of the holiday season. If you drove some distance to spend time with friends or family, this will be the day you will be driving home.

There are more drivers on the road than usual since workers have the day off, kids are still out of school on winter break, and it gets dark early. Plus, there is the risk of bad weather. Although you won’t expect to be driving in the snow in Texas, you may have snow if you are driving home to Texas from visiting loved ones.

The main thing is to be careful out there. Drive defensively. Even if you do everything right, there is always the chance that a negligent driver will run into you.

If that happens to you, the personal injury attorneys at Springer & Lyle can help you obtain the reasonable compensation you are entitled for your injuries, lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other physical damage. Contact us at 940.387.0404 for a free consultation.