Throughout Indiana and Illinois, lots of plans are being made for enjoying the upcoming Independence Day holiday. Officially, the Fourth of July Holiday begins tomorrow and continues through midnight, July 6, 2014; maybe you or a loved one is taking a couple of days off work this week for some welcomed rest and relaxation.
Almost 400 People Planning Their 4th of July Holiday Today Will Die in a Car Crash
Many people in our neck of the woods may be planning to take a short road trip; in fact, AAA has announced that it is predicting the highest number of Americans to be traveling over U.S. roads this Fourth of July than we’ve seen in the past 7 years. According to AAA, 80% of those traveling over the Fourth this year will be driving.
Put together lots of people on the road, coupled with festive holiday plans, and it’s sad but true that we’re also going to experience an uptake in the number of car crashes and other kinds of accidents over the next week.
In fact, over in Itasca, Illinois, the National Safety Council has announced that it is predicting 385 fatal traffic accidents over this Fourth of July weekend holiday.
According to the NSC, we may also have almost 50,000 people suffering from serious injuries in traffic accidents needing medical care. That’s in addition to other injuries, like burn injuries from fireworks, and other types of accidents (slip and falls, drownings, etc.).
Safety Tips for Your Independence Day Weekend
From the Illinois NSC offices and the American Red Cross come the following tips for a safe Fourth of July Holiday:
- Refrain from all cell phone use while driving your car – both hands-free and handheld
- Do not drink and drive your car, motorcycle, truck, van, boat, ATV, etc.
- If you drink, designate a non-drinking driver or take alternate transportation
- Place children in age-appropriate safety seats
- Never leave children unattended in a vehicle.
- Keep alert for local weather conditions. Check to see if any warning signs or flags are posted in campsites or near lake shores and beaches.
- Swim sober and always swim with a buddy.
- Don’t drink while operating a boat.
- Make sure kids have protective floating devices to wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
- Never dive headfirst into lakes, rivers, or other natural bodies of water.
- Walk carefully into open waters.
- Keep a close eye and constant attention on children and adults while at the beach or in camp sites.
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Be careful out there and Happy Fourth of July from everyone at the Kenneth J. Allen Law Group!
