A new study published in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association compares the number of deaths and serious injuries in collisions on election days than to other Tuesdays in October and November and the results are clear. An average of twenty-four more people die and approximately 800 additional people get seriously injured.
Many things can cause accidents. I am not all that surprised that people under pressure to vote get distracted on the road. It’s a big decision. Even if you already know who you are going to vote for, you still worry that they won’t get in.
People also rush to and from their polling places early in the morning, on their lunch break, or after work. They have to vote around their work schedules which makes them in a hurry.
I am not about to give you any advice about how to relax about the presidential election and to not let it get to you, because that would be hypocritical. It gets to me. It really does. I feel like our society as whole rests on this election and I urge people to worry about it. Think about what kind of life you want and what kind of life you want for future generations. This election is very important and I’ll bet anything we’ll see an increase in deaths greater than the typical eighteen percent.
So, my advice is this… be defensive. Leave a large following distance between you and the person in front of you. Purposefully drive slower than normal (but still within the flow of traffic, of course). Be patient and review polling times so that you’re not rushing at the last minute to get your vote in (but do make sure to vote). The fact is people will get hurt on election day, please make sure it isn’t you or someone you love.
If you do happen to get injured or know someone who is injured in a collision, give us a call, we’re here to help.
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