The summer offers beautiful landscapes and vacation opportunities for families. Individuals may plan road trips with their spouses and children. Many others have to drive as they usually do for personal needs and employment.
Oftentimes, people talk about seasonal traffic risks with a focus on the winter when the weather may be cold and wet. However, the summer has its own unique set of traffic safety hazards. Quite a few collisions occur during the warmest months of the year. The following are the most pressing safety issues that people should be aware of when driving during the summer months.
More young motorists on the road
The months between Memorial Day and Labor Day are statistically the most dangerous time of year for teenagers to be on the road, Without school limiting their free time, young adults may spend quite a bit of their days socializing with each other and out making memories. Driving with other teenagers in the vehicle can be a dangerous and distracting choice. Young adults might also attend parties and then drive home while under the influence during the summer. An influx of high school and college students with free time can make the summer months a dangerous time to drive.
Holiday crash risk
Memorial Day, Labor Day and the Fourth of July are all holiday celebrations that often feature alcohol and family gatherings. Juneteenth has quickly become a popular celebration as well, with many people having outdoor gatherings with friends and family. Those social events often involve a degree of alcohol consumption. There is a noticeable increase in drunk driving crashes around the summer holidays every year. The holidays themselves and the weekends nearest them can be particularly dangerous times to drive because of how other people celebrate.
Summer tourism activities
Plenty of New Jersey residents enjoy day trips and road trips where they visit the beach with friends or travel to a shopping destination for a fun one-day adventure. There are also plenty of tourists who visit the Garden State during the summer months. Those driving in unfamiliar areas are often reliant on navigation systems. GPS devices can be as distracting as mobile phones, as they force people to take their attention away from controlling their vehicles. Those unfamiliar with an area might also conduct questionable traffic maneuvers or may fail to recognize an unsafe situation until it is too late.
During the summer months, keeping an eye on others in traffic can be especially important for someone’s safety. Tourists, young adults and drunk drivers are all somewhat unavoidable hazards that can increase motor vehicle collision risk during the warmest season. People can take more steps to prevent crashes and respond more assertively after them if they recognize unique seasonal risk factors accordingly.