Top Reasons Why Car Accidents Increase During Summer Season

Did you know that, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), car drivers are at a higher risk of getting into accidents during the summer season than at any other time of the year? Moreover, June, July, and August are the peak months for car accidents, also known as the 100 deadliest days of summer. Let’s take a look at the statistics before discussing the top reasons why accidents increase during summertime.

According to a 24-year study of car accidents carried by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

  • In summer, 29 percent more people die from car crashes than in winters.
  • Teens are the age group most involved in summer car crashes.
  • On average, 260 teens die in car accidents during summers in the US. This is perhaps a 26 percent increase in comparison to other seasons.
  • Every year collisions and wrecks in the summer season cost billions in damage.

Now let’s find out the underlying causes for the spike in auto accidents during summers:

Reason #1—Teens are on Summer Break—out of schools and on the roads

Most schools close in early June and begin a new school year in August, and most teens spend more time on the roads these months. Studies show that teen drivers spend nearly 44% more time during the week driving than during the school year.

Do you know what this means? It means that more inexperienced car drivers are on the road and longer during summertime, thereby increasing the likelihood of collisions.

Apart from their being inexperienced, there are too many people sharing the roads during summer. So, when roadways are congested, driving conditions become complicated, and there are high chances of road rage, aggressive driving, or speeding, resulting in severe accidents.

Reason#2—Vehicle equipment failure due to summer heat

Vehicle performance is affected by hotter temperatures. Cars have to work overtime in the heat to maintain safe engine temperatures and power air conditioners non-stop—summer heat wrecks havoc on the vehicle and its daily operation. The warm weather, extended road trips, hot roads, and sometimes even humidity can create a hostile environment for cars.

Due to the temperature rise, the heat can negatively impact the vehicle’s equipment, especially the tires. For example, if the car’s tires are slightly worn out, the air inside the tires can expand because of the heat. This increases the risk of a tire blowout, thereby exposing you to a collision risk as the car may not be in your control.

Besides this, the summer heat can also impact battery functioning. Heat and vibration are the worst enemies of a car battery. Although there is nothing much you can do about the heat that occurs naturally, you can make sure that your car’s battery is securely mounted so that there is minimal vibration. If you don’t protect the battery, the suspended plates inside it can become loose and rub against each other.

When this happens, it can result in a sudden high discharge of current, which further leads to excessive heat buildup and thermal runaway. A thermal runaway produces more internal heat than your battery can use. Not only does it impact your vehicle’s performance, but it can also expose you to the risk of accidents if the battery stops working in the middle of a busy road or highway.

Reason#3—Construction Ramps up

Summer season means roadway construction. At least that’s how many states work. The construction crew takes advantage of warm weather to get much of their construction work done before winter arrives and puts them on hold. Roadway construction and highway work zones result in the shut down of traffic lanes and detours. Lane closures due to construction work can lead to traffic congestion, especially during rush hours, further increasing the risk of rear-end traffic accidents.

Besides this, the construction changes in roadway navigation can also lead to drivers becoming confused and losing control. Distracted driving, tailgating, and road rage are frequent in such situations, which is no surprise why accidents are pretty common.

Reason#4—There are more bicycles and motorcycles on the road than usual

As the weather is favorable, people like to ride their bicycles and motorcycles more during summertime. This means that car drivers have to share the road with vulnerable bicyclists and motorcyclists. It further increases the chances of accidents, too, especially if car drivers don’t drive cautiously and be aware of these individuals on the road with them.

If you or a loved one are considering a driving vacation this summer, be sure to stay safe on the roadways. If you sustain injuries in a collision, the first thing you should do is reach out to our experienced auto accident lawyer in North Carolina.

We will review your case and provide you with your options for legal action in your situation. We’ll investigate the case in-depth and collect evidence to establish a strong case for liability against the defendant.

intersection t bone collision, two pick up trucks hit eachother in the intersection

At The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor P.C., we fight to see that justice is served. Our goal is to help clients get the compensation they deserve for the injuries and property damages incurred. Our auto accident lawyer in North Carolina will assist you at every stage of the process from start to finish while you focus on getting better. We strive to make the entire process smooth, quick, and stress-free so that you can get the financial help you need to seek the best treatment and set on the road to recovery ASAP. Contact us now so we can serve you.

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Notice of Data Security Event
Updated March 28, 2025

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor is providing notice of an event that may affect certain individuals’ information. Although we have no indication of identity theft or fraud in relation to this event, we are providing information about the event, our response, and additional measures individuals can take to help protect their information, should they feel it appropriate to do so.

What Happened? On October 28, 2024, The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor identified suspicious activity related to our email system. We quickly took steps to investigate and determined that an unknown actor may have accessed certain emails within our email system between August 7 and November 7, 2024. We then conducted a comprehensive review of the potentially affected emails and attachments to determine what information was contained therein and to whom the information related, which was completed on February 25, 2025. Unfortunately, we were unable to verify the addresses of certain affected individuals, so we are providing this notice to ensure potentially affected individuals receive information about the event.

What Information Was Involved? The information affected may include individuals’ Social Security number, driver’s license and state ID information, financial account number, and health information.

What We Are Doing. We are notifying individuals about this matter and providing guidance about free resources that are available to assist with monitoring relevant accounts, credit reports, and how to place a fraud alert or security freeze on one’s credit file. Further, as with our typical security practices, we will continue to evaluate our policies, procedures, staff training, and technical security measures to reduce the likelihood of an event like this reoccurring.

What Individuals Can Do. We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. We also recommend you review the below “Steps Individuals Can Take To Help Protect Personal Information”.

For More Information. If individuals have questions about this matter, we have a dedicated assistance line with agents ready to answer their questions. Please contact our toll-free dedicated assistance line at 1-800-939-4170, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. through 9 p.m., excluding holidays. You may also write to us at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, Attn: Compliance, P.O. Box 2688, Hickory, NC 28603.

Sincerely,

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor

STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

Monitor Your Accounts

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Consumers may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of their credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If consumers are the victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should consumers wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in a consumer’s name without consent. However, consumers should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in their credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application they make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, consumers cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on their credit report. To request a credit freeze, individuals may need to provide some or all of the following information:

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.); and
7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if they are a victim of identity theft.

Should consumers wish to place a credit freeze or fraud alert, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Equifax Experian TransUnion
https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/ https://www.experian.com/help/

https://www.transunion.com/credit-help
1-888-298-0045 1-888-397-3742 1-800-916-8800
Equifax Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 Experian Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016
Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094

Additional Information

Consumers may further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps they can take to protect their personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or their state attorney general. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Consumers can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Consumers have the right to file a police report if they ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, consumers will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and the relevant state attorney general. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

For District of Columbia residents, the District of Columbia Attorney General may be contacted at: 400 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001; 1-202-442-9828; and oag.dc.gov.

For Maryland residents, the Maryland Attorney General may be contacted at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-410-576-6300 or 1-888-743-0023; and https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/.

For New Mexico residents, consumers have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in their credit file has been used against them, the right to know what is in their credit file, the right to ask for their credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting bureaus must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to consumers’ files is limited; consumers must give consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; consumers may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance based on information in their credit report; and consumers may seek damages from violators. Consumers may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active-duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage consumers to review their rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580.

For New York residents, the New York Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; or https://ag.ny.gov.

For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov.

For Rhode Island residents, the Rhode Island Attorney General may be reached at: 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; 1-401-274-4400; and www.riag.ri.gov. Under Rhode Island law, individuals have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this event.
STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT A MINOR DEPENDENT’S PERSONAL INFORMATION

Typically, credit reporting agencies do not have a credit report in a minor’s name. To find out if a minor has a credit report or to request a manual search for a minor’s Social Security number each credit bureau has its own process. To learn more about these processes or request these services, consumers may contact the credit bureaus by phone, writing, or online:
Equifax Experian TransUnion
https://www.equifax.com/personal/help/article-list/-/h/a/request-child-credit-report/
https://www.experian.com/help/minor-request.html
https://www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resources/child-identity-theft

1-800-685-1111 1-888-397-3742 1-800-916-8800
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013 P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016

To request information about the existence of a credit file in a minor’s name, search for a minor’s Social Security number, place a security freeze or fraud alert on a minor’s credit report (if one exists), or request a copy of a minor’s credit report consumers may be required to provide the following information:
● A copy of their driver’s license or another government issued identification card, such as a state identification card, etc.;
● Proof of address, such as a copy of a bank statement, utility bill, insurance statement, etc.;
● A copy of the minor’s birth certificate;
● A copy of the minor’s Social Security card;
● The minor’s full name, including middle initial and generation, such as JR, SR, II, III, etc.;
● The minor’s date of birth; and
● The minor’s previous addresses for the past two years.

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