Researchers looking at crash statistics for the past 20 years in three Canadian provinces, including Ontario, reportedly found a correlation between the run-up to Christmas and a higher frequency of traffic incidents than other similar time frames throughout the year. The three days leading to Christmas Eve, from Dec. 21 to Dec. 23., are typically hectic shopping shopping days, which may be responsible for increased crashes, authorities indicated.
The study was conducted by a well-known auto insurance agency. According to the study’s findings, there was an average of 3,113 incidents during each one of the three days preceding Christmas Eve, as indicated by insurance claims reported by people involved in accidents in the provinces surveyed.
Data for Toronto in specific suggests that the worst of the days involving increased crashes is Dec. 23, authorities said. Accidents tabulated during the course of the study showed the Scarborough Town Centre and Dufferin Mall were common sites for motor vehicle incidents. Some insurance professionals tried to explain the correlation with a seemingly logical cause-effect model, saying the spike in wrecks is due to rushed and distracted driver overcome by the pressure of last-minute holiday necessities.
Rushed driving is in many cases cited to be a form of unnecessary, reckless and ultimately actionable behavior, meaning that it may be grounds for a civil lawsuit to be filed. The claimants who file civil action connected with injurious and fatal accidents are often victims of the car accident who suffered bodily damage, including potentially permanent injuries. For these victims, a personal injury lawsuit may serve the purpose of helping them recover the expensive and ongoing financial costs of treating their injuries.
