The deadliest driving day in Nevada and nationwide has just come and gone. It wasn’t a national holiday or the date of a major sporting event. It was August 2.
A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that 505 motorists were killed on August 2 from 2012 to 2016. It also found that the month of August claimed 15,914 lives over the same period of time. While that number may be surprising to many people, it makes sense to traffic safety advocates. Experts say that summer weather encourages more drivers to hit the road. Kids are out of school, families are going on vacations and people are throwing beach parties. All this fun puts more cars on U.S. highways, which, unfortunately, increases the risk of someone getting into a crash.
According to Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., 60,976 of their customers filed car accident claims in August 2016, which was the highest monthly total reported in the past four years. The Ohio-based company said that an increase in traffic volume played a role in the accidents. However, its SmartRide program, which records the driving behaviors of participating customers, found that certain driving habits also contribute to a driver’s overall risk. These habits include hard braking, fast acceleration and idle time.
Car accidents can cause catastrophic injuries, including brain, spinal cord and crush injuries as well as broken bones. In order to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and other damages, injured victims may need to file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver who hit them. An attorney could help victims collect evidence supporting the claim and work to negotiate a fair settlement.
