How to Travel Safely This Holiday Season
Driving to Las Vegas? These travel tips will help you stay safe.
With Halloween in the rearview mirror, most of us are now excitedly focused on the next few months as the traditional holiday travel rush ramps up.
Holiday Travel Statistics: Why Roadway Risks Increase
Buckle up, because what are already the busiest days for car travel in the United States are going to be even busier in 2025. According to AAA and other travel statistics, historically, the busiest day for car travel is the day before Thanksgiving, when up to 60 million people load up the SUV and head out to gather with family and friends in our annual expression of gratitude. The second busiest day? The Sunday after Thanksgiving.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, travel times in some metropolitan areas can almost double on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The danger of this is obvious: more eager drivers losing their patience on a crowded road almost always translates to more accidents. That risk carries over to Thanksgiving Day, when NHTSA and the National Safety Council data indicate that fatigue and weather play a role in making it the fifth most dangerous day to drive. Other holidays are also part of the trend. New Year’s Day makes the top of the “most dangerous day” list, while Christmas Eve comes in 6th. Clearly, travel by car during the holidays presents some risk.
Why Holiday Travel to Las Vegas Gets Even Busier
Adding even more cars to the road in fall and winter is that these seasons are traditionally very busy times for both convention and vacation travel to Las Vegas. New Strip performer residencies, the buzzy Sphere, Formula 1 and other sporting events, and Chinese New Year all bring a flurry of leisure travelers to town. The National Finals Rodeo alone is expected to see more than 100,000 rodeo fans ride into the city in December. That’s a lot of trucks pulling livestock trailers!
Holiday Driving Safety Checklist (AAA Recommendations)
With all that’s happening, it’s easy for drivers to get distracted, fatigued, or make poor choices. The best thing you can do if you plan to travel by car during this season is to be patient and be prepared in every way. One way to be prepared? AAA offers a trip safety checklist that includes checking car equipment, such as tires, lights, brakes, and fluids, and packing an emergency road kit (including jumper cables, a fire extinguisher), a First Aid kit, water, blankets, phone chargers, and important documents and emergency phone numbers.
See more information here: https://discounts.aaa.com/discounts-articles/ultimate-road-trip-checklist
Best Times to Drive During the Holidays
It also helps to plan your driving when the roads are quieter. Just because you are driving during the holidays doesn’t mean there aren’t better and worse times to do so. Getting on the road before 6am means you’ll likely be driving with 80% fewer cars than if you left at 2pm. Even leaving before 10am will help. At all costs, avoid the 1pm-7pm crush on any of these busy days; your trip will be safer and less stressful!
Avoid Fatigue, Impairment, and Unsafe Driving
Driving safety also depends greatly on then doing the driving. It is critical that those who drive don’t do so when they are tired. Or under the influence. Or taking medication. If there is more than one responsible driver in the car during a longer road trip, plan to switch seats every 2-3 hours. This is highly effective at sidestepping fatigue.
Even with preparation and careful driving, accidents still happen. Busy roadways, holiday drivers distracted or unfamiliar with their surroundings, e-bikes and e-scooters, taxis, busses, rideshare vehicles, and now even driverless cars hailed via your phone — all are making our streets more crowded and risky.
Las Vegas Roads Are Becoming More Complex
If you are traveling by car during the holiday season, it is important to know that rules — and your rights, if you are involved in an accident — differ from state to state. For auto accidents, both Nevada and California are at-fault states, which means the driver who caused the accident, and their insurance, is responsible for coverage of damages and injury. But both states are also “comparative negligence” states, which means that if both drivers are deemed to be at fault, compensation is calculated based on the percentage of each driver’s negligence. Both Nevada and California also have a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury or wrongful death, three years for property damage.
Accident Laws in Nevada & California: What Out-of-State Drivers Need to Know
While that may seem like a long time, it is always best to contact an attorney as soon as possible when involved in an accident. Navigating the rules and laws, the statutes of limitation, the complicated idea of “comparative negligence,” and the incredibly complex world of insurance and liability is more than overwhelming to most people. This is especially true when they have just been involved in an accident.
Why Contacting a Personal Injury Attorney Helps
An experienced personal injury attorney can quickly assess your accident case, advise you of your rights in your specific situation, and help guide you on your next steps. Most personal injury attorneys will offer a free, no-cost, no-pressure consultation for this purpose — including us at Sam & Ash Injury Law. But not all personal injury attorneys are as qualified, reputable, and experienced as we are at Sam & Ash. And not all of them will personally guide you through the entire process with the personal attention you deserve, while navigating your case and the legal process with knowledge and precision, fiercely advocating for the outcome you deserve. Sam & Ash Injury Law — Because You Deserve What’s Right.
