Monday, December 28, 2009

How to Drive Defensively During the Holidays

Car crashes kill: more than 41,000 people die each year as a result of traffic collisions. Another two million suffer disabling injuries in car accidents. According to the National Safety Council, the odds of getting in a deadly crash increase threefold when driving at night and increase further when drivers are distracted or drunk. During the holiday season, the roads become deadlier as frenzied shoppers and intoxicated partiers get behind the wheel.

How to combat the dangers of deadly drivers? Defensive driving: a technique that can prove particularly valuable-and save lives-during the holiday season. Learning to be more alert on the road could help you avoid the situation caused by Carmen Huertas in New York City. The mother accused of driving drunk after downing Cognac at a family birthday party, took to the road, visibly drunk, and raced down the highway at speeds nearing 70 mph; she lost control of her station wagon and crashed. She barely managed to wrench her daughter from the overturned car, leaving others to die.

Would you know what to do if an erratic driver were speeding toward you? You should. This holiday season, the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from drunk and distracted drivers, is by learning to drive defensively.

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