Summer driving comes with a set of hazards that catch many people off guard. While winter weather draws more attention as a seasonal road risk, the summer months bring their own dangerous conditions that contribute to a significant number of serious car accidents each year. A lack of maintenance on a vehicle can raise the risk of a car crash due to engine failure or tire blowouts. If you were injured in a crash caused by another driver’s negligence, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your damages.
How Does Extreme Heat Affect Vehicle Safety?
High temperatures do more than make the drive uncomfortable. Heat places significant stress on vehicle components, particularly tires. Underinflated tires are especially vulnerable in summer because heat causes air pressure to fluctuate, increasing the risk of a blowout at highway speeds. A blowout can cause a driver to lose control instantly, endangering everyone nearby.
Engine overheating is another concern. Stop-and-go traffic combined with high ambient temperatures strains cooling systems, and a vehicle that breaks down in the middle of a highway creates a serious secondary hazard for passing drivers. Checking tire pressure, coolant levels, and other fluid levels before long summer trips reduces the likelihood of a mechanical failure on the road.
Why Is Summer Road Construction So Dangerous?
Road construction activity peaks during the summer months, and work zones create conditions that lead to a disproportionate number of accidents. Lane shifts, reduced speed limits, uneven pavement, and narrowed travel lanes all require drivers to adjust quickly. Workers are present in proximity to moving traffic, and the consequences of a distracted or speeding driver in a work zone can be fatal.
Drivers who fail to reduce speed, ignore posted signs, or follow too closely in construction zones put everyone at risk. Rear-end collisions are especially common in these areas, where traffic can slow or stop without much warning.
What Role Does Sun Glare Play in Summer Accidents?
Sun glare is a serious and underappreciated hazard during summer. The sun sits at angles during morning and evening commutes that can completely blind a driver for several seconds at a time. Intersections are particularly dangerous when glare prevents a driver from seeing a red light, a pedestrian crossing, or a vehicle stopped ahead.
Polarized sunglasses and clean windshields help reduce glare, but they do not eliminate it. Drivers should slow down and increase following distance whenever glare is limiting visibility, rather than proceeding at normal speed and hoping for the best.
How Do Summer Holidays Contribute to Accident Rates?
Holiday weekends in summer, particularly around Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day, consistently produce some of the highest traffic fatality numbers of the year. Increased volume on the road, longer driving distances, and a higher prevalence of impaired driving all contribute to the spike. Drivers who are fatigued from travel or who have been drinking at outdoor gatherings represent a significant danger to others sharing the road.
Pedestrian and bicycle traffic also increases dramatically in summer, particularly in residential neighborhoods, near parks, and at the shore. Drivers who are not accustomed to watching for cyclists and pedestrians need to adjust their habits during warmer months when foot traffic is heavier.
What Should You Do if a Summer Hazard Leads to a Crash?
If you have been injured in a serious crash, you should seek medical attention immediately. Some injuries, including soft-tissue damage and traumatic brain injuries, do not present obvious symptoms immediately following a crash. Accordingly, you should be vigilant about your health in the days after the accident. Prompt medical treatment creates a record that connects your injuries to the accident, which is important if you later pursue a claim. Delaying treatment or refusing care at the scene can complicate your ability to recover compensation.
In addition, you should also contact a car accident lawyer as soon as possible after the crash. The insurance company is going to do everything in its power to undercut your case, and a lawyer would counteract what they do.
If You Have Been Injured in a Car Accident, Our Experienced Delaware County Car Accident Lawyers at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC Will Fight to Get You the Compensation That You Deserve
Our Delaware County car accident lawyers at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC are here to help you understand your rights and pursue the compensation you deserve after a serious crash. For a free consultation, call today at 215-569-8488 or contact us online. We have offices in Philadelphia and Abington, Pennsylvania, as well as Haddonfield, New Jersey, and Wilmington, Delaware. We proudly serve clients throughout the surrounding areas.