The roads in Florida can be dangerous regardless of the time of year, but there are certain points when there is an even higher risk of being in an auto accident. Any time there are more vehicles on the road than usual and there is a chance that drivers might have been at a party or family gathering increases the possibility that there will be a drunk driver. This is especially true during the holiday season. People must be extra attentive when on the road during these times. If they are unfortunate enough to be in an auto accident, it is important to understand what steps to take to attempt to recover compensation through a lawsuit.

Statistics from AAA show that Florida is in the top-10 for destinations during Thanksgiving. With the number of Americans who are preparing for a trip away from their home and are set to travel at least 50 miles, this adds significant numbers of vehicles to the road. Adding in the number of drivers who are on the road the Wednesday night and Thursday morning of Thanksgiving, and the amount of drinking that tends to happen on that day, leads to people being at increased risk of catastrophic injuries and death in a collision.

The names given to that night and early morning are intimidating, with “Drinksgiving” and “Blackout Wednesday” signifying the possible dangers. Marijuana is also considered to be under the umbrella of “Drinksgiving.” In 2018 in Florida, there were 782 accidents because of drivers under the influence over Thanksgiving weekend. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that there were more than 800 deaths due to alcohol during that holiday from 2013 to 2017. With 2019 set to rank second for most people on the road since AAA began tracking the numbers, the chances of accidents remain worrisome.

While most people will arrive at their destinations and have a night out safely, there will still be accidents in which people are injured or lose their lives. This is an unfortunate reality. When these accidents occur and the victims survive, there can be medical expenses, lost time at work and long-term damage. If there is a fatality, there are a host of concerns that the family left behind will face after car accidents.

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