Buckle up Ontario and stay focused on the road
One of the best things about May is the anticipated Victoria Day long weekend providing an extra day to spend with family and friends. For many, it is also the weekend to open the cottage or enjoy the first camping trip of the season.
Unfortunately, holiday weekends are also known for another thing – fatal car crashes.
One study, using five years of data from Alberta, found that holiday weekends see on average an 18 per cent higher rate of fatal collisions than non-holiday weekends. Interestingly, it noted that regular weekends had more cases of speeding and driving impaired while holiday weekends had more failures to use seatbelts.
Other findings showed that holiday weekend crashes took place with greater frequency in rural communities as well as more often with drivers from out-of-province. Motor vehicle accidents also tended to be rear-ended and angular, something that is often attributed to distracted driving.
It is worth reviewing what can lead to dangerous, and sometimes fatal, distracted driving.
- Texting, reading, or writing an email
- Talking on the phone
- Checking social media
- Using GPS apps
- Searching for music
- Eating
- Smoking/vaping
- Talking (or fighting) with passengers
- Caring for children in the backseat
- Looking in the mirror/applying makeup
For more information on distracted driving and prevention tips, the RCMP has a good resource, here.
One last thing to remember (and please share!): Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 90 km per hour, that is like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.
This holiday weekend, stay safe and alert.
And, if you are injured in a car accident make sure to contact us so we can help.
