By the end of next week, we’ll all be able to freely say that summer is here! Officially getting underway on Friday, June 20th, the summer season is much beloved because of its higher temperatures. Something that isn’t talked about so much is the fact that risks on the road can also increase. You might think that the winter’s ice and snow are reasons the cold season is tops in the car accident department. However, the summer offers many reasons why driving can become more dangerous.
Driver fatigue.
During the summertime, most of us like to venture outdoors more often. We go to parties, we play sports and we enjoy long days by the water. While this all sounds like a lot of fun, it can deplete our energy a lot quicker than normal. Driving home after a long day of expending energy isn’t the safest choice. Not to mention, the summer offers us longer days. Long drives, late nights at the beach and early morning road trips can all contribute to our weariness. Sadly, this spikes accidents during summertime.
“On average, 87 people are injured or killed in driver-fatigue related crashes each month in July and August compared to 55 people injured or killed each month during the rest of the year,” reports the ICBC, “Fatigue includes incidents where one or more of the vehicles had contributing factors: extreme fatigue and fell asleep.”
Alcohol and recreational drugs.
Summer is the season of patios, concerts and festivals. In other words, it means that more people are drinking and smoking. Unfortunately, this leads to a noticeable uptick in impaired driving incidents. Perhaps, the adage “Don’t Drink And Drive” has become too commonplace for people to pay attention to. It cannot be stressed enough, however, that one should never get behind the wheel when inebriated or using recreational substances.
“Of fatal crashes, 21% involve impaired driving,” the ICBC informs, “That means every year in B.C., 63 people die in crashes involving impaired driving. Police across the province look for impaired drivers at CounterAttack roadchecks during summer and winter. ICBC supports enforcement activities such as roadchecks to help make our roads safer for everyone.”
Distractions.
All throughout the summer, people take road trips. This means we’re spending more time looking at Waze or Google Maps for directions to our chosen destinations. We also tend to respond to texts or take beautiful sunset photos while behind the wheel. These, of course, are no-no’s. Distracted driving, in fact, is one of the leading causes of collisions all year-round. However, during the summer, increased traffic, pedestrian activity and cyclists make distractions even more dangerous.
“Anything that takes your attention away from driving can contribute to distracted driving,” warns the ICBC, “Even when stopped, checking an electronic device affects your focus. You’re 3.6 times more likely to crash if you’re using your hand-held phone.”
Let us get you home safely all summer long!
The summertime should be about fun, not fender-benders. Whenever it is even remotely inconvenient or unsafe for you to drive, make MyDDride your personal, luxury alternative to risking the road. Never hesitate to call or text us at 604-283-8532 or visit our Contact page to schedule your designated driver. Entrust MyDDride to make the summer of 2025 your safest one yet!