Summertime Driving Dangers & Tips

You might think an icy winter would be the worst time of year for auto accidents, but you’d be wrong. Summer is actually when vehicle accidents increase in number, sometimes drastically. There are a few likely reasons for the increase:

• Busy roadways – People are more active in the warmer months. After all, there’s a lot to do. Traveling for vacations increases, people take to the roads for the long weekends, and everywhere you drive is simply more congested.
• Tire failure – You’re more likely to experience a tire blowout or malfunction on hot days as the heat takes a toll on already worn or faulty tires.
• Irresponsible driving – Summer comes with lots of holidays and holiday celebrations. Sadly, many people do not choose to celebrate with alcohol responsibly and often get behind the wheel impaired.
• Impaired visibility – The days are longer and the sun always seems to be shining brighter, sometimes right into your eyes. Glare from the hot mid-day sun may not seem dangerous, but can lead to accidents if you’re not careful.

So how do we avoid becoming part of the summer automobile crash statistic? Some simple, common sense tips can help:

• Carpooling is a great idea to help reduce roadway congestion. If you’re going on a vacation or road trip, get your friends or family to ride together. Besides, all that time spent together in the car is fun!
• Get your tires checked, so you can address any potential issues and avoid a major blowout. You’ll probably get an overall smoother ride out of it too.
• Celebrate responsibly when you’re heading out to an event, a BBQ, pool party, Cardinals game, or holiday gathering. Call a friend, a cab or Uber for a ride, and keep yourself and others safe.
• Get yourself a great pair of sunglasses. Go out and splurge on those Ray Bans you’ve been thinking about. They’ll keep the sun out of your eyes, so you can avoid a wreck and look fantastic while doing it.

As the “dog days of summer” stretch into August, the teams at Schaefer Autobody and SOS Auto Glass hope you have a safe and happy summer!