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Jan 07, 2009

 

July 4th: A Busy and Dangerous Travel Time

July 4th: A Busy and Dangerous Travel Time

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In 2006, there were more than 11-hundred car crashes on Kentucky roadways during the four-day fourth of July holiday. In West Kentucky there have already been 37 deadly car wrecks this year, last year at this time there were only 23. Kentucky State Police say this years extended holiday could make that already large number rise, but there are things you can do to stay safe.
Eric Gibson and his family left Thursday to drive to Fort Wayne, Indiana for the July fourth and Gibson isn't too worried about traffic.

"I don't necessarily think of July 4th as a big travel holiday," says Gibson.

According to Kentucky State Police it's not only a busy travel time, but a dangerous one. Kentucky State Police at Post One say that last year there were two car accidents that resulted in death over the July Fourth weekend. But they're worried that this year there could be more, because this year July fourth falls on a Wednesday.

That means the weekend before and after will be big travel times. Kentucky State Police say one of the worst things you can do? Talk on your cell phone while you're on the road. Another bad idea? Messing with the radio. Buckling your safety belt could mean the difference between life and death. Liz Dome emphasizes that to her kids with a unique game.

"Anybody who doesn't buckle their seat belt who gets out of the driveway first, we charge them a dollar," says Dome.

There are other ways to keep safe when you're travelling for the holiday. Kentucky State Police say get plenty of sleep so you can stay alert on the road, slow down in roadway construction zones and watch for any objects in the road, like tire treads, lumber, or even garbage. Most importantly, expect the unexpected and be prepared to react.

"You can't ever control what other drivers are going to do, so you just got to make sure you keep your eyes open and pay attention," says Eric Gibson.

As Gibson and his family are on the road, they say that's exactly what they'll be doing.

Kentucky State Police say that accidents can happen anywhere. Three out of four crashes happen less than 25 miles from home and 40 percent of all deadly car wrecks happen in speed zones of 30 miles per hour or less. Be aware, June 30th through July 8th Kentucky State Police say they'll have road blocks up, and increased seat belt and radar patrolling.

Copyright 2007 WPSD-TV, LLC

At Daryl T. Dixon, we hope you never need to retain our services. We have posted this article to help inform you and your families of some safety tips that you should be practicing while traveling this holiday weekend. The best way to prevent an accident from ever happening is taking precautionary measures before traveling long distances, or during busy holiday weekends.

As the statistics above show, the number of deadly car crashes this year, 37, is already up from the number of fatal car crashes last year, 23. This is an obvious red flag that drivers need to be overly cautious while traveling. Also keep in mind that since the holiday falls on a Wednesday, it is an extended holiday weekend. Not only will there be heavy traffic during the week, but also during the weekends before and after. Remember to slow down, keep a watchful eye out for obstacles and other drivers, try to stay off the cell phone, and try not to mess witht the radio that much. Most importantly, remember that most of the time it is the other driver that is a threat, so be ready for the unexpected and prepared to react.

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