Valentine’s Day is celebrated throughout the nation. Loved ones giving gifts, expressing their gratitude towards one another. It also signifies fun events, dinners, socializing and drinking. The combination of the four can often equal disaster and crash the party, with a turnout of events that can be fatal as well.

The Texas Department of Transportation reported that in 2011 there were over 38,000 vehicle accidents in the city of Houston. This averages to at least one crash every 15 minutes. These statistics also show that a large portion of the Car Accidents take place on holidays. New Year’s Eve, Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Valentine’s Day are the leading holidays for crashes.

Valentine’s Day and Car Accidents

No one would suspect that Valentine’s Day would be a leading holiday for car accidents. But, if you really look at how the day is celebrated, it is easy to see how it made the top five. Valentine’s Day celebrations often consist of going out for dinner and drinks as the two people spend their evening expressing their love. Many people even become engaged that day, leading to further celebration and drinking. Valentine’s Day is also the most popular day of the year to be married, and weddings are generally followed by a party.

On a day associated with love and happiness, it is important to take safety into consideration. Making arrangements for a ride home, could be the difference between a night you won’t forget or one you will always try to erase from your memory. If you and your loved one have consumed too much alcohol during your celebration consider these alternatives to driving:

• Spend a romantic evening in a hotel.
• Call a cab.
• Make prior arrangements for a ride-share/safe-ride, there are several companies that offer this service.
• Rent a limousine.

If you Are Involved in an Accident

Even on this romantic day of the year, accidents can still happen even to those who are being very careful. If you must drive home and are involved in a car crash on this or any other day, you should take the following steps to protect yourself and your rights.

• Report Accident Immediately. Even a minor accident should be reported to the Police so that an official record can be made of the event. Without a police report, a claim cannot be made to an insurer.

• Seek Medical Care. If you have been injured in any manner, seek medical care at the time of the event. Most people are afraid to seek care for minor injuries, but if these are left untreated, they can lead to more serious harm.

• Avoid Giving Statements To The Insurance Company. It is always in your best interest to wait to give a statement to the insurance company until you have left the hospital and have spoken to an attorney.

• Hire A Car Accident Lawyer. You will want to hire a local attorney, to represent you because their knowledge of the area and local laws will be beneficial to your case. Additionally, hiring an attorney will help protect your rights when negotiating with the insurance company.

• Refrain From Posting Details. You want to keep any postings on your social site about your accident and injuries to a minimum. The insurance company will be monitoring your postings to see if they can gather information that will reduce the claim or allow them to deny the claim altogether. Bland postings with no relevant information about the event are all you should post online

There is no real reason that you should not go out and celebrate Valentine’s Day. After all, love is something that should be celebrated. However, if you are going to drink, be responsible and arrange for a way home. A good celebration would be ruined with a car accident.

Coming from Wisconsin, Jennifer Alston experienced watching a friend get hit by a drunk driver, as they walked home on Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, they were all too young to realize the importance of how staying off the roads during this holiday, could be detrimental to their future.