That time has already come, Christmas is just around the corner followed by New Years. For many of us, these times are very special. Seems that when they get here, they don’t last quite long enough. Holidays are some of the deadliest times of the year, not only on the roadways, but in our homes. We look at some of the most common Holiday accidents in our homes and look at car accident data.
Common Holiday household Accidents
- Candle Fires make up 13 % of house fires in December
- Tripping over extension cords for all those lights you put out sent 2000 people to the ER for laceration and sprained ankles.
- Turkey Fryers can cause 3rd degree burns, lowering a turkey to fast into hot oil can cause some major issues
- 5800 fall injuries resulting from decorating your house to putting up Christmas lights
- Christmas tree fires due to faulty lights or candles to close to the tree- have you ever seen a Christmas tree burn? When they go, they go
- Hypothermia
- Scalding incident-there’s a lot of cooking going on during the holiday season that’s sends over 100,000 people to the ER for scalding incidents.
- Back injuries resulting in carrying all that luggage up the stairs at your in-laws house
Many of these Holiday Accidents can be avoided in the home. Extra caution and steps should be taken to insure your Christmas is uneventful.
While the day before thanksgiving is the heaviest traveled day in America, Christmas and New Years have more accidents. American’s drove 213 miles to grandmother’s house for thanksgiving, for Christmas they drive 255 miles. Holiday accidents are caused by increased traffic on the roads to do that last minute Christmas shopping. Drinking and driving have a big impact on holiday accidents, of all the holiday accident drinking and driving are responsible for a large number. On all new-year car accidents, alcohol was responsible for 40% of them.
Last minute shopping
Many folks like me wait till the last minute to go shopping. Getting out the day after thanksgiving to go shopping is not a lot of people’s idea of a fun shopping experience. I like to do my shopping online these days. Congestion on the streets and malls spell for some ugly accidents. Although many of these holiday accidents are not fatal, it sure makes for a bad day. Most of these shopping accidents are just minor fender benders.
Drinking and Driving
We all like to have a good time with friends and family during the holidays. Drinking and driving should not be part of that fun. Responsibility of stopping someone from drinking and driving falls in many ways on the people around them, who are sober. Don’t let your friends or loved ones drive this holiday season if they have been drinking. Not only could they injure themselves, but they could injure or kill someone else and be faced with fines, probation, and possibly jail.
Going the distance
Traveling further distances with more people traveling them result in more accidents on our roadways. Christmas travelers travel further than on Thanksgiving. statistically it does not seem like its all that much, but when everyone is doing it , it adds up for more holiday accidents.
During this holiday season, be careful, make memories with your friends and family. You don’t want to remember this Holiday five years from now as the time your burned down your house, or fell off the roof.
Accident Doctor wishes’ everyone a Safe and a Happy Holiday