Citrus County Injury Attorney Blog
Tens of millions of Americans travel over the long Thanksgiving weekend to spend time with family and friends – nearly 51 million are expected to travel 50 or miles from home this year, AAA estimates.
All of the extra traveling and other activities at Thanksgiving lead to a higher number of cooking and car accidents. According to The American Red Cross, the additional cooking duties over Thanksgiving leads to a higher number of house fires. On a similar note, a higher number of travelers on the highways cause more traffic accidents. The National Safety Council estimates that 407 fatal traffic accidents occurred around the Thanksgiving holiday from 2008-2013.
Our Citrus County Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton want you to have a very happy and safe Thanksgiving. To ensure that you and your loved ones stay safe over this holiday weekend, please consider the following simple tips.
- Anyone travelling in a vehicle should wear their seat belts.
- Never drink and drive.
- Do not drive tired.
- Do not use your cell phone when driving for any period of time.
- Do not speed.
- Drive slowly in work zones and use extra caution.
- On long trips, make sure that you rotate drivers every two or three hours.
- Do not tailgate. It will not get you to your destination any faster, and it may cause a serious accident.
- Turn on headlights when it starts to get dark and when you have to use your windshield wipers.
FOR COOKING SAFELY
- Thanksgiving Day is the annual peak for home cooking fires. There were 1,760 home cooking fires in 2015 reported to U.S. fire departments.
- Cooks should not wear loose clothing around the stove.
- Use a timer to remind you that the stove is on.
- Keep your pets and small children away from cooking areas.
- Check that all smoke alarms are functioning.
- Have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen for an emergency.
If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a car or other type of accident over the holidays, we can help you understand what steps to take next. We will be available 24/7 this Thanksgiving holiday, so do not hesitate to call us at 352-726-0078 or contact us online. Your consultation with us is always free.
From our family here at Whittel & Melton to yours – Happy Thanksgiving!