BIG SUN BIG CRASH

We always think our icy dark winter roads are the worst. Snow, snow and more snow make for treacherous conditions. But we're wrong. Our gorgeous summer roads are truly awful. Perfect weather makes for perfectly terrible car crashes.

3 reasons make that danger real:

1. Busy Roads: make for more crashes. Everyone and their granny is out on the highway living their best life. Our Canadian summer is short. So when beautiful sunny days are long, everyone is out on the road rushing to where they want to be. More kids, cyclists and pedestrians are on the streets. More people. More vehicles. More deadly crashes;

2. Impaired: MADD Canada reminds us impaired driving kills hundreds of people and injuries tens of thousands every year. We know impaired driving is dangerous. But that risk still remains high on long weekends and throughout the summer months. Don't start to celebrate your vacation until you arrive alive at your destination; and

3. Sunshine: studies by our doctors suggest bright, sunny days play a big role in car crashes. Sunny days increased the risk by 16%, across the board for all demographics, and can't be explained away by glare at dawn or dusk. One reason may be our judgment is messed up by bright sunlight and the temptation to speed. When we assume the road conditions are good, we drive faster. The authors warn us to check our speedometer and obey that speed limit even when conditions are perfect. Bright sunlight is absolutely associated with an increased risk for a life-threatening motor vehicle crash. (From Abstract Jan.2017. Life-threatening motor vehicle crashes in bright sunlight, Redelmeier DA, Raza S. and Your Health Matters, Refresh your driving safety in time for the summer sun, May 15, 2017, Alexis Dobranowski).

Driving safe and within the speed limit is a year round imperative.

Experienced injury lawyers have noticed this cycle for decades. Don't drop your guard in the summer sun. Our Ontario summer roads and highways are deadly.

When you've been seriously injured in a summer car crash, call Martin Law for your Free Consultation. Know where you stand this summer and every summer.