Most Common Accidents in the Summer

During the fall, winter, and spring, people are in work and school mode, but when schools close for the summer, Americans tend to engage in water-related activities, go on road trips, and more. Whether close to home, a neighboring state or abroad, taking advantage of fun summer activities is something many of us look forward to each year.

During the summer, many people explore new pastimes, play in the heat and water, travel more than usual, and engage in what can be riskier behavior. Because of this, accidents tend to spike during the summer months.

To help you better understand the hidden dangers in the summer, these are the common summertime accidents to be aware of:

• Car Accidents: In the summertime, people are on the road much more often. Before you hit the road, make sure your car is fully maintained, stock your car with plenty of water, and make sure everyone buckles up. For summer driving tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), click here.
• Boating Accidents: Understandably, boating activity increases dramatically in the summertime. As with drivers of motor vehicles, inexperienced or intoxicated boaters can cause serious, if not life-threatening boat accidents. Take a boater education course and never steer the boat if you’re under the influence of alcohol.
• Dog Bites: With the longer days and summer vacations, people tend to have their dogs out more than usual. Because dogs are outside more, the chances of a dog bite or attack increase. Never pet a dog without the owner’s permission and teach children not to approach strange dogs.
• Bicycle Accidents: During the summer, there tend to be more cars and more bicyclists on the road, which can be a deadly combination. As a driver, be on the lookout for bicyclists and be sure to give them plenty of room.
• Pedestrian Accidents: Increased car and pedestrian activity, paired with longer days in the summer, translates to more pedestrian accidents. As a driver, watch for pedestrians and yield the right of way to them. As a pedestrian, watch out for cars and never assume drivers can see you.
• Motorcycle Accidents: During the summer, people tend to enjoy the freedom of the road more on their motorcycles. Be aware that when it comes to collisions with cars and motorcycles, often the problem was that the motorist failed to “see” the motorcycle rider.
• Swimming Pool Accidents: Every summer residents, recreation centers, water parks, and other entities open their pools for the summer season, and in effect, swimming pool accidents sharply rise during these warmer months.
• Drowning Accidents: Since water-related activities increase in the summer, such as boating, jet skiing, fishing, and swimming, near-drowning and drowning accidents rise accordingly.
• Sport Injuries: Since the weather is nice outside, people are more inclined to engage in sports, such as soccer, baseball, tennis, basketball, bicycling, etc. Because people tend to play more in the summer, healthcare providers may see an uptick in sports injuries.

At Jones & Swanson, we want to wish you a safe and fun summer, but if you’re injured in an accident that was not your fault, we invite you to contact our firm to file a personal injury claim.