The summer months are where it’s at for motorcycle riders. But, unfortunately, it’s also quite popular for drunk drivers. Riders are already at a heightened risk of serious injury due to crash. Introduce a higher number of drunk drivers into the mix? Bikers are put into danger by summertime drunk drivers. This is not to say that there won’t be drunk motorcycle riders on the road as well. But, the ratio is much higher for that of passenger vehicles. Therefore, there is a much higher risk of motorcycle crash in the summer months.
Summertime Drunk Drivers Present Risk for Riders
The summer months are the peak of motorcycle riding season. June, July, and August are the most popular when it comes to taking those long trips down the coast. The sun is out; the weather is warm, and it makes perfect sense. Maybe they travel by the beach, the lake, or through the mountains. This is a great time to do so.
However, the trouble comes in the fact that the summer is peak time for almost anyone to be in these areas. Not to mention, now more than ever, more people are lax about drunk driving. They spent all day floating down the river, or sitting by the ocean, and they continue to drink. Then, when the time comes to go home, they think nothing of dusting off the sand, and jumping behind the wheel.
July brings 79% more motorcycle accidents
Of all the months that riders take to the road, this coming summer month is the most dangerous for them. There are plenty of potential reasons, drunk driving being one of the most common, along with the heightened traffic on the roads this time of year.
What could it be?
The particular reason for the increase in motorcycle accidents during the month is not known entirely. But there are plenty of reasons that you can assume. From the heightened number of people on the road, to the larger number of out of state travelers, and people unfamiliar with the roadway. All in all, you can infer a lot of reasons why there might be a heightened risk around this time.
Fourth of July, out of state travelers, and drunk driving
Statistics show that roughly fifty-five percent of Americans report that they will vacation during July. Of those who will vacation then, most people plan to travel outside of their state. With such a large number of people traveling, there will be a huge increase in traffic on the roads. And as the number of vehicles goes up, so will the amount of crashes. Since July is the most popular month for motorcycles and it is also the most popular month to travel, those factors will cause the number of motorcycle accidents to increase.
When it comes to summertime drunk drivers, what better a time than July? Cookouts, celebrations, it’s finally at the peak of summer, and plenty of people you know want to spend every weekend with friends. So, it becomes commonplace to drive on down the street to your friends place without a second though of how much alcohol you’ve had.
However, doing so causes great concern for injury, DUI, and making mistakes. While they might like ten minutes down the road, a lot can change in ten minutes. So, drive safe, watch for bikers, and sensitize yourself to the dangers of drunk driving.
