Atlanta Motorists Face Summer Driving Risks

Many people throughout Atlanta, Duluth, Savannah or surrounding areas of Georgia assume winter driving is the riskiest time on the road because of the potential for bad weather.

A personal injury lawyer knows that spring and summer are also very high risk times, especially for young drivers. There are different car accident risks that motorists face during sunny and warm days, and The Mirror recently provided a summary of some of the top 10 dangers that motorists face on the roads now that summer has arrived.

Top 10 Risks of Summer Driving

The top 10 risks motorists face when driving in the summer include:

• An increased number of bikes on the road. Drivers are expected to treat bike riders as any other motorist, respecting their position on the road and yielding when it is their turn.
• An increased number of motorcycles on the road. This is dangerous for motorcycle riders, but also for drivers. When a motorcycle strikes a vehicle from the side and causes a change in speed exceeding 40 MPH, even a driver who is buckled up faces as much as an 85 percent risk of death due to the crash.
• Rain following a period of sun: When drivers go a long time without a rain storm, they may forget how to drive effectively with wet roads and reduced traction. A rain after a long dry spell can also make the roads slick because it takes time for diesel, oil, and dust to wash away. Because of this, it is actually safer and there are fewer accidents if it rains steadily than if a long time passes with no rain. When three dry weeks go by and it finally does rain, the risk of a deadly motor vehicle collision is around 10 percent higher than if it had been wet all along.
• An increased number of teen drivers on the roads. One out of every five new teen drivers is involved in a motor vehicle accident within the first six months of having a license. There are a lot more of these inexperienced teen drivers on the road during summer when school is out.
• An increased number of kids playing. Warm weather leads to more pedestrian accidents involving kids. Around 85 percent of deadly pedestrian collisions involve a driver traveling at a speed between 30 and 40 MPH.
• An increased number of people on vacation. Vacationing drivers are often more likely to be rushed and distracted by their GPS or other devices in the vehicle.
• Increased plant growth. More vegetation can affect visibility and make it harder for drivers to see.
• An increased number of tractors on the roads. Farmers tend to move farm equipment during the summer months.
• An increased number of deer on the roads. During spring and early summer, deer typically move around from their breeding grounds.
• An increased risk of motor vehicle breakdowns. As people travel and take road trips in the summer, there is a greater chance that their cars could break down.

All of these are major risks of driving in the summer that motorists should plan for so they can try to reduce the chances of a collision.

Call the Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C. at 1-800-898-HAYS or visit https://www.garymartinhays.com to schedule a free consultation if you have been injured in Atlanta, Duluth, Savannah or surrounding areas of Georgia.