By the end of last year there were 42,643 fatalities due to automobile accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That number is approximately the population of Collierville.
With the holiday season in bloom, there may be more risks to drivers now than other times of the year.
Like many people, Mary Powell is driving away from Memphis to visit some of her family.
She, along with her parents, is driving to Ft. Worth, Tex. However, after an accident involving a semi-truck, Powell said she is scared to drive herself.
"I have anxiety about ice on the road, fog and rain," said Powell, senior African American studies major.
Those, however, are not her biggest fears about driving long distances. She said her biggest problem is getting tired and wanting to fall asleep.
She advises other drivers, "get as plenty of rest as possible before you start driving, and have something to do while you're driving."
She said her parents take shifts driving, so they don't fall asleep. She will take the wheel only if she has to. And if that happens, she will role down the window, chew gum, turn the music up and make sure she has someone in the passenger seat to talk to.
There are a few things drivers can to do to help keep them safe.Jonathan Towles, Manager of Barton's Car Care, said as the temperature drops there are things that need to be done to car.
"The key thing in colder weather is you don't break down," Towles said.
He said, above all things, checking your automobile for the proper amount of fluids like anti-freeze, oil and power steering fluid is important.
"If you can't turn your steering wheel to back out of a parking spot you're not going to go far," Towels said.
He said getting your car prepared and checked for traveling is a quick and easy thing to do.
"In all reality, you should be able to look a car over for a trip within 30 minutes," he said.
In preparation for a drive down to southern Mississippi, senior political science major Jason Richards said he makes sure he has a sleeping bag and a jacket in case he does end up breaking down.He also makes sure he keeps a cell phone with him in case anything should happen.
"It keeps me in communication with the rest of the world, I would like to think," Richards said.
However, he said while it is a good idea to take a cell phone with you, it is a terrible idea to talk on it while you are driving.
He said people talking on cell phones as well as thinking about shopping are some of the reasons he doesn't ride his motorcycle this time of year.
"Their minds are on everything but driving," he said. There are still some other things a holiday driver should do before hitting the road.
Richards said he gets gas anytime he stops while on the highway. He does it in case his car breaks down and he is stuck in the cold waiting for a wrecker, which will probably be running late during the holidays.It is a good idea to keep enough gas in your car that you can keep it running and heated for a couple of hours, according to Richards. This holiday season there may be many obstacles in getting where you need to be safely.
Corwin Reaves, senior psychology major, said it is necessary to watch out for other drivers.
He is driving about two hours away to Union City, Tenn. to be with his family, and he said if it is raining or sleeting he will try to follow the proper speed limit.
However, he said focusing is the best defense against getting in wreck.
He said accidents occur because drivers are, "not being cautious, being careless, making mistakes and not being as focused as you should be."
