As tourism picks back up in 2021, you may find yourself wondering if that makes the roads less safe. Are those tourists more likely to cause car accidents than people who live in the area?
Tourism is inevitable and travel is a big part of the American experience. However, understanding the risks that it may pose can help you focus on safety when it matters most.
More traffic leads to more accidents
First off, there is a link between summer driving and more traffic accidents — leading to more injuries and more deaths. Much of the reason, per the National Safety Council, is just that there are higher overall traffic levels. The more cars you have on the road at one time, the greater the odds of an accident. This can also lead to traffic jams and unexpected backups, which may then lead to accidents.
Tourism can strain a local road system that otherwise works very well. If it was designed for 5,000 people who live in a tourist town all year around and then the town has 15,000 or 20,000 people around when tourism is high, as good as this is for the economy, it can overload the roads instantly.
Distraction and unfamiliar roads
Two other things to consider are the roles of distraction and unfamiliar roads. The first — distraction — may be common when tourists are trying to think about their busy schedules, looking up addresses, talking to children in the car, listening to music, or doing many other things that are common on road trips. Anything that takes someone’s attention away from the road can cause an accident.
Unfamiliar roads can also create confusion on many levels. People may miss turns, drive the wrong way down one-way roads, get distracted by the GPS or just get confused about where they are. This can increase people’s stress levels and cause them to get into accidents that never would have happened close to home.
What are your options?
Have you been injured in an accident caused by a tourist this summer? If so, you must know what options you have to seek out financial compensation.