With Thanksgiving fast approaching, families across Wisconsin and that rest of the nation are already making plans to spend the weekend with relatives. Travelling across several states is not out of the question for many travelers, some driving through the night of Thanksgiving to reap the benefits of Black Friday sales back home. But with more people on the road comes the risk of car accidents that could end deadly says many transportation experts.
With AAA reporting an approximate 90 percent of people travelling by automobile this coming holiday weekend, it's hard to ignore the possible dangers the roadways could bring this year. "Whenever traffic volume goes up, crashes generally go up as well," says the director for the Center for Advanced Public Safety at the University of Alabama.
But other than more vehicles on the roads, what else makes this weekend so dangerous? Experts point out that many of the people on the road will be travelling late at night after an evening of eating, often times driving on unfamiliar roads. Some of these people may have also consumed alcohol during the course of the evening and may not realize that they are too intoxicated to drive. Coupled with possible drowsiness, experts say that this is the perfect storm for fatal accidents.
According to some people at INRIX though, a Seattle-based firm that tracks traffic congestion nationwide, this year may not be as deadly as anticipated. Their numbers indicate that traffic congestion could be down by four percent for this Thanksgiving season. They're basing their figures on the fact that many people are still out of work, gas prices are still relatively high and the economy still has not fully rebounded.
Whether the predictions are right or not, many people point out that there is still the possibility for car accidents this Thanksgiving. Despite people's best attempts at precautionary measures, you simply cannot predict what another driver will do. That's why it's important for upcoming travelers to be properly warned and to be well informed on how to handle the aftermath of an accident.
Source: USA Today, "Thanksgiving week one of the deadliest on the highway," Larry Copeland, Nov. 18, 2012