The holidays bring heavy traffic and tens of millions of Americans are expected to spend some portion of their Thanksgiving on the road. According to the National Safety Council, Thanksgiving is the second most dangerous holiday for driving. South Carolina has the second-highest rate of fatal car accidents during the holidays in the United States.

We put together a list of driving safety tips to keep you and your family safe this Thanksgiving.

• Drive sober. Everyone wants to have fun during the holidays, but at what cost? If you plan to have a drink this holiday, get a designated driver to get you to and from your destination safely. One drink can put not only you at risk but everyone on the road.
• Wear your seatbelt properly. Buckling your seatbelt drastically increases your chance of surviving a crash. They also reduce critical injury by 50 percent. A seatbelt is only effective if it is worn correctly. The seatbelt should come across your shoulder and chest and fit snug across your hip bones.
• Make sure children are in the proper seats for their age and size. According to the NHTSA, since 1975, 11,606 children ages 4 and under have been saved by child restraints, and 325 children were saved in 2017 alone.
• Don’t speed. If you drive too fast, you could lose control of your vehicle or not stop in time if an unexpected obstacle is in your way. Even driving the speed limit on a road during bad weather can cause an accident.

Car accidents can be avoidable if you stay diligent and drive safely during the holiday season. However, not everyone is as careful. The number of traffic collisions in South Carolina has gone up steadily each year since 2011 – with 979 traffic fatalities in the state in 2019 alone. If you have suffered an auto accident, call us for help recovering the compensation you deserve.