Every summer, more people take to the road. Truck drivers traveling to and from construction sites, families heading to a new vacation spot, there’s just a lot more traffic. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), summer months lead to an approximately 20% increase in the number of total vehicles on the road at any given time. We need to share the road not just with more drivers, but also with more dangerous drivers.
Distracted Drivers
Every year over 3,000 people lose their lives in automobile accidents resulting from distracted driving. This accounts for over 8% of all fatal motor vehicle collisions on roads across the country.
Distractions may be exacerbated while on vacations when drivers are in unfamiliar places and driving on unfamiliar roads. This increases the likelihood that they make sudden stops and turns. A 5-second glance to a gps, phone, text or even another passenger while driving 55mph is the equivalent of driving a football field blindfolded.
Drunk Drivers
On average, over a 10-year period from 2012-2021, more than 10,000 people died every year in drunk-driving crashes according to the NHTSA. The annual death toll represents nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities each year.
Summer accounts for almost 30% of drunk driving-related fatalities, making it the deadliest season. The increase in drunk driving fatalities during the summer can be attributed to drivers spending more time on the road after drinking. Another factor is the increase in the number of parties, sporting events, cookouts, and other social events where alcohol is served.
Drowsy Drivers
Each year, drowsy driving accounts for about 100,000 crashes, 71,000 injuries and 1,550 fatalities according to the National Safety Council (NSC). A study from the Foundation for Traffic Safety found that drowsiness was a contributing factor in nearly 10% of all crashes.
Drowsy driving can simply be a matter of a driver not getting enough sleep. However, it can also be the result of untreated sleep disorders or shift work. Prescription and over-the-counter medications and alcohol can also cause drowsiness. Summer heat can even contribute to the problem.
Young Drivers
Drivers between the ages of 16 and 17 are more likely to be involved in car accidents than drivers in any other age group. Teen drivers also cause more injuries and deaths than other drivers. Statistics from the NSC indicate that in 2021, the number of people dying in crashes involving at least one young driver totaled 5,565, a 9.8% increase from the 2020 total.
Distracted driving is the cause of more than 58% of crashes involving teen drivers. This risky practice includes any behavior that takes a driver’s eyes off the road, such as eating, drinking, talking on a cell phone, texting, applying makeup or smoking.
Fifty-six percent of teens admit to talking on a cell phone while driving. This is a frightening statistic when superimposed against the finding that using a cell phone while driving — whether it’s hand-held or hands-free — delays a driver’s reaction as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of 0.8%.
Teenagers are typically out of school in the summer, affording them the opportunity to spend more time behind the wheel.
EXTREME HEAT
Dangerous drivers aren’t summer driving’s only peril. Summer heat can take a toll on drivers, vehicles and even roads.
Effects on people
The temperatures we’re exposed to in the summer can result in dehydration, heat exhaustion, and in extreme cases, heat stroke. Dehydration is a potentially serious medical condition which occurs when your body does not have the water it needs to function.
When it’s hot and humid, your risk of dehydration and heat illness increases. Water vapor in the air prevents sweat from evaporating and cooling you as quickly as it normally does under low humidity. This can lead to an increased body temperature.
People with dehydration can experience confusion, delirium, memory loss and anxiety.
According to one peer-reviewed scientific journal, being dehydrated while driving can be as dangerous as being drunk.
Incidentally, the air conditioning that keeps your car cool can contribute to dehydration. Air conditioners remove heat and moisture from the air. The process can also extract water from your skin, drying it and you out.
Effects on vehicles
High temperatures can cause engine oil to thin out. It can also hinder the chemical processes inside car batteries, making it hard for batteries to hold a charge and produce enough power.
Coupled with improper inflation, hot summer days can lead to tire blowouts, which can result in loss of control. High outdoor temperatures can also cause a car to overheat. Checking tire pressure and fluids in your vehicle during the summer is extremely important.
Effects on roads
Potentially dangerous road conditions can stem from summer’s intense heat. Reports of asphalt roads “melting” are not uncommon. They’re not entirely accurate either. Hot weather alone won’t heat asphalt to 270° F and liquify it. However, asphalt does absorb and retain heat, so ambient temperatures of 100° F can cause an asphalt surface to reach 150° F or hotter. That’s hot enough to soften the asphalt and allow it to crumble and become unstable. In addition, when the temperature reaches 95° F or higher, the asphalt will bleed causing oil to puddle on top of some roads. The slippery surface can put motorists at risk.
Concrete roads aren’t immune from the destructive forces of heat. Pavement buckles can occur when the air temperature changes from moderate to extreme heat. These buckles can be very dangerous for motorists.
Summer driving Safety tips
Perform vehicle maintenance, particularly before a road trip. Check vehicle fluids, its air conditioner charge and tire pressure. Make sure your windshield and windshield wipers are in good condition.
Don’t overload your vehicle. (Exceeding your vehicle’s acceptable load limit can put added strain on tires potentially causing a blowout. Piling items in the back of the car can obstruct the driver’s view.)
Pay attention to weather forecasts and traffic reports.
Familiarize yourself with state “move over” laws.
DON’T drink and drive.
Obey the speed limit. (Keep in mind that the maximum speed is “conditions permitting”. If conditions warrant lower speeds, SLOW DOWN.)
Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles. (The closer you are, the less time you have to react if they have to suddenly brake.)
Take frequent breaks along the way.
Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
Wear sunglasses or utilize the vehicle’s sun visor.
Pull over to a safe location if your vision is compromised by heavy rain or sun glare.
Beware of construction zones and construction vehicles.
Keep an eye out for motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. (They can be difficult to see. Give them plenty of space.)
If you’ve been injured in an motor vehicle accident resulting from someone else’s negligence, call Comitz Law at 570-829-1111 or email info@comitzlaw.com.