JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — National safety experts are expecting thousands of car accidents this holiday season and First Coast News is On Your Side with tips on keeping you and your family safe on the roadways.
The year-end holiday period from Thanksgiving through New Year’s is always one of the most dangerous, according to leaders with the National Road Safety Foundation. Over 2,200 car accidents happened in Duval County in December 2021, more than any other month that year according to data from the Florida Highway Patrol.
It’s a trend that national safety experts see around the country and they point to many reasons for the December uptick.
“Twenty-five percent of all fatal crashes this time of year involves speed. And very often that's because people just don't plan ahead. Also, if you're driving at night in the darkness, since the days are so much shorter this time of year, driving in the dark can be riskier," David Reich, with The National Road Safety Foundation, said.
Earlier Sunday morning, the Florida Highway Patrol responded after an SUV carrying a family of five left the roadway and flipped. A one-year-old was killed.
While investigators don’t know what led to the crash, it happened around 12 a.m. and according to the report, neither the one-year-old nor the two adults in the SUV were wearing seatbelts.
“The biggest lifesaver in a car in the event of a crash is the seatbelt. So every time you drive any time of the year, not just at holiday time, don't even start to put that car into drive or reverse until you make sure everybody is belted you the driver and every passenger," Reich said.
The National Road Safety Foundation has a free tool called 'Passport to Safe Driving' that parents can use to talk with their young drivers about safety.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests all children drive in a car seat. You can go to this link for more information on car seat types and installation tips.”