Drivers always need to be careful on the roads and watch for unsafe motorists. Football season, however, is an especially dangerous time in Indianapolis. Fans of the Colts, the Indiana Hoosiers and other college and professional teams may be out on the roads on football game days and may operate their vehicles in a dangerous manner.
Drivers need to be aware of an added risk of car accidents on football game days, and need to make sure they do what they can to try to reduce the dangers.
Five Tips for Reducing the Risk of Car Accidents During Football Season
If you are out in your car during football season and you are driving on a game day, you have a higher risk of getting hurt in a motor vehicle accident.
This risk comes from the fact other drivers on the road may behave irresponsibly. While you can't control their behavior, following these five tips can help you to do your part to stay safe and reduce your crash risk as much as possible.
- Watch for signs of drunk drivers. Some states report as much as a 13 percent increase in drunk driving arrests on football game days, according to the Department of Transportation.
- Stay away from stadium areas. - On game day, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and Bloomington's Memorial Stadium see lots of traffic, which increases the chance for a fatal or serious car accident to occur. This is especially true when people in traffic are drunk. ABC News reports one in 12 fans leaving a professional football game has consumed too much to drink and is over the legal limit for alcohol and driving.
- Wear your seat-belt at all times. By buckling up (and wearing a helmet, if you have a motorcycle), you can reduce the change you will be seriously injured if your car is hit by a driver who is leaving a football event.
- Drive within posted speed limits. If you are going slower and a driver from the football game hits you, there will be less force and momentum than if your own car was going faster. This can make the collision easier to survive.
- Report drunk drivers to police. If you see a suspected impaired driver, you should call the police and give them information they need to be on the lookout.
It is not your job as a sober driver to prevent car accidents by drunk drivers - every motorist has to make smart and safe choices and every motorist can be held responsible for his own actions. If a drunk driver hurts you, you should pursue a case against that motorist to hold him accountable.
Still, while you don't have a duty to prevent others from being drunk and causing you harm, you also can save yourself and your loved ones from serious and potentially fatal injuries by going the extra mile to drive safely during the high-risk football season. By following these car crash prevention tips, you may be able to avoid a crash which could have changed your life.