The Memorial Day holiday is a great time for Portlanders to get away to the beach or the forests and mountains in the area. Many people enjoy a three-day weekend on Memorial Day. Getting away on a mini-vacation is also a great way to start the summer.
However, driving on the Oregon roads during such a busy holiday has its risks and downsides as well. For instance, a lot of people across the country unfortunately choose to get behind the wheel after celebrating with too much alcohol or by ingesting drugs. More generally, a lot of fatal accidents happen on Memorial Day for a variety of reasons.
Furthermore, according to sources like the American Automobile Association, there are just a lot of people who choose to drive somewhere for their Memorial Day holiday. This year, 41.5 million people across the country will travel via car to their holiday destination. This is almost five percent more than the number of people who took to the road last year.
Statistically speaking, more traffic on the road means that anyone driving has a higher chance of being in an accident. Moreover, more traffic also means more backups on the busiest Oregon highways, which in turn presents its own set of hazards to drivers who aren’t being fully attentive.
We hope that car accidents, especially ones that leave victims injured, do not put a damper on anyone’s holiday. However, those who do happen to be victims of drunk drivers or inattentive motorists should remember that Oregon law offers them the legal right to pursue compensation from the responsible party for their injuries.
