Heat’s Effect on Traffic Collisions

By July 18, 2014Blog
man yelling in car

 

Mad at GPSLiving in the Gulf Coast region means having to get used to some fun temperature situations. When the highs for the day continually linger in the 90s, and the humidity is over 60% – being hot is just a fact of life. This opens the door to some risks that aren’t often thought about. Did you know that extreme temperatures can contribute to road rage? When it’s incredibly hot, people just want to get where they’re going. as fast as possible. So if traffic isn’t moving fast enough for them, or maybe someone cuts over into their lane – the heat can go to their heads and make them far more susceptible to road rage. Heat’s effect on traffic collisions is well documented. June and July are the two months that have the greatest number of car accidents, according to car insurance statistics. The kids are home from school, and people are often traveling, so the chances of getting in a car accident increase, just from a statistical standpoint. There are some things you can do to avoid the worst of the heat (and the worst of the drivers…) Run your errands in the morning before it gets hot, or later in the afternoon once it starts to cool off. If you need to run to the bank or the grocery store, try to schedule your day so that you get out and get things done before the heat kicks into gear and starts getting to other drivers on the road. The peak of the hottest part of the day ranges from noon to six pm. Take a defensive driving course. There are facts, tips, and tricks within defensive driving courses that can be applied to anytime, not just during the heat of summer. Knowing how to handle your vehicle in the safest way possible can go a long way to reducing your chances of getting into a traffic collision. Maintain safe distances from other vehicles when driving and braking. This gives you plenty of reaction time if someone ahead of you gets cut off or slams on the brakes. A general rule of thumb is to keep one car length apart per 10mph while driving, and at least a full car length while stopped behind someone. Car accidents are dangerous, so do everything you can to avoid getting into one this summer. If you do get into an accident, you can always come get checked out at the urgent care!