It should come as no surprise that Nashville is one of the most popular southern destinations for Labor Day Weekend. The Music City celebrates the end of summer by throwing several concerts and festivals for residents and visitors from around the country to enjoy on their time off.
Even if you’re not in the mood for live performances, there are still plenty of barbecues and bar parties thrown throughout the city. While all that sounds like a fun time, it also isn’t exactly the safest holiday of the year. Last year at WalletHub, they stated 86 percent of Americans that traveled did so by car and that there was an estimate of over 420 traffic fatalities that would occur that year. With the amount of drunk and inexperienced drivers on the road, it’s crucial to formulate a game plan to stay safe while celebrating.
Arrive early to avoid chaos
If you and your family plan on going to a concert or festival in the city, you may have to leave home earlier than you initially planned. Traffic isn’t pleasant to get through in Nashville, and it only gets worse during the holidays. Leaving early means you’ll not only have less cars to deal with but also fewer drunk drivers. Most drunk driving incidents occur throughout the night, so you’re less likely to run into one of these motorists when the sun’s still out.
You should also plan on when you want to leave whatever event you’re going to as well. Plenty of car accidents occur right as the event finishes and everyone’s in a rush to get back home. There’s also a high chance that a reckless driver was drinking at the same celebration you went to or at a different party close by.
Explore your transportation options
Nashville has plenty of ways to get around the city from tour buses to scooters, so it’s understandable why you wouldn’t want to drive that much this weekend. Maybe you want to join in the festivities and have a couple of drinks. Perhaps you just don’t want to be on the road with so many drivers that are either intoxicated or unfamiliar with the city.
Just be aware that nearly all forms of transportation will be busy this weekend. It might be a while before you can get an Uber to pick you up from the bar. If you do choose to drink, be careful on how you choose to get home. You shouldn’t get on a scooter in that state, and you shouldn’t walk home alone. Consider bringing a friend that isn’t going to drink as much to keep a close eye on you during these busy nights.
Since accident rates are high throughout the country during this extended weekend, it is important to know your legal options if you are involved in a motor vehicle accident.