Taking a Memorial Day Road Trip? How to Avoid a Car Accident on This Dangerous Driving Weekend

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer, and summer travel is often high. A weekend getaway is a great way to start the season, but heavier traffic and more reckless driving, including drinking and speeding, make Memorial Day one of the deadliest holidays for motorists, according to the National Safety Council.

We wish everyone a safe holiday. If you or a loved one is injured in a crash, an experienced Michigan car accident lawyer can help protect your rights and pursue the compensation you deserve.

AVOID DANGEROUS DISTRACTIONS WHILE DRIVING

Distracted driving remains a serious crash risk, even after Michigan’s 2023 handheld cell phone ban took effect. MCL 257.602b generally prohibits holding or using a mobile electronic device while driving. Hands-free use is still allowed in many situations, but it is not risk-free.

Anything that takes a driver’s hands, eyes or mind off the road is a distraction. Visual-manual tasks such as texting are among the most dangerous. NHTSA notes that taking your eyes off the road for about five seconds at 55 mph is comparable to driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.

AAA Foundation research also found that the brain can stay impaired for up to 27 seconds after some voice-command tasks, including hands-free calling, texting or changing audio.

Cell phones are the most common distraction, but drivers should also avoid:

• Eating and drinking
• Talking to passengers
• Grooming, shaving or putting on makeup
• Reading, including maps
• Programming a navigation system
• Changing the radio station
• Listening to loud music
• Attending to children
• Bending down to retrieve an object from the floor

IT’S “CLICK IT OR TICKET” TIME IN MICHIGAN

Drivers who skip the seat belt risk injury and a ticket, especially during Michigan’s annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign. Michigan State Police join county and local officers for extra seat-belt enforcement around Memorial Day.

NHTSA reports that about half of passenger-vehicle occupants killed in crashes, among those whose restraint use was known, were unbuckled. Among young adults ages 18 to 34 killed in passenger vehicles in 2024, 59 percent were unrestrained, one of the highest shares of any age group.

Seat belts and car seats save lives. In Michigan, MCL 257.710e requires the driver and every front-seat passenger to buckle up. Children under 16 must be restrained in every seating position, with younger children covered by the child-restraint rules in MCL 257.710d.

DRUNK AND DRUGGED DRIVING IS DEADLY AND ILLEGAL

Alcohol and drugs remain a major factor in fatal crashes. Michigan Traffic Crash Facts for 2024 counted 1,012 fatal crashes. Alcohol was involved in 276 of them (27.3 percent), meaning at least one drinking driver, motorcyclist, bicyclist or pedestrian. Drugs were involved in 246 fatal crashes (24.3 percent). Those two groups overlap, so they should not be added together.

Under MCL 257.625, it is illegal for anyone 21 or older to drive with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher. For drivers under 21, the limit is 0.02.

Marijuana is legal for adults in Michigan, but it is still illegal to drive while impaired by marijuana or any other drug. A medical marijuana card does not excuse impaired driving.

Michigan also has a per se rule: drivers with any amount of a Schedule 1 controlled substance, or cocaine, in their body can face the same operating-while-intoxicated track as drunk drivers even if they do not look impaired. That is MCL 257.625(8).

DOES MICHIGAN NO-FAULT INSURANCE COVER OUT-OF-STATE ACCIDENTS?

Generally, yes, if you are on a Michigan No-Fault policy. MCL 500.3111 allows Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits for accidents in the United States, its territories and possessions, or Canada when the injured person is:

• The named insured on a Michigan No-Fault policy
• The spouse of a named insured
• A relative living in the same household
• An occupant of a vehicle involved in the crash if:
  • The occupant lives in Michigan, or
  • The owner or registrant of the vehicle has Michigan No-Fault coverage

An out-of-state resident injured in a vehicle insured under a Michigan No-Fault policy may therefore be entitled to PIP under that policy. Assigned-claims coverage is different: MCL 500.3172 generally limits those claims to crashes that happen in Michigan.

MORE TIPS FOR A SAFE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

• Plan your route and set the navigation system before you leave
• Check brakes, tires, fuel, lights and other basics
• Pack an emergency kit with a flashlight, blankets, flares, first aid supplies, water and snacks
• Expect heavier traffic and give yourself extra time
• Stay calm in backups and unexpected detours
• Use a navigation app with live traffic, such as Waze
• Stop when you are tired
• Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Follow the posted speed limit, or go slower in bad weather
• Keep the phone down and skip other distractions

CALL OUR EXPERIENCED CAR ACCIDENT LAWYERS

We want you and your family to have a safe Memorial Day weekend. Even careful drivers get hit. If you or a loved one is injured in a crash, our Michigan car accident lawyers can help you pursue compensation.

Car accident law is complicated, but finding the right car accident lawyer is simple.

Don’t let the legal clock run out. Fill out the brief form below or contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.